China Blossom
by Neko Oni
Summary: Kairei rei is back in his village, when something terrible happens to him. kai shows up in time to save rei from a horrible fate, but the damage has already been done (not a rape fic) contains ancient custom of chinese foot binding
1. Default Chapter

ohayo!!! yippie, i've started another beyblade story!!! there's never too much kai and rei out there!!! we need as much as we can get!!!  
  
kai: * rolls eyes* and, in true idiot fashion, you're starting another story when you should be finishing your other ones.........  
  
* shrugs* i know! ^__^ but this story is gonna be complete before posting, and i'm gonna post it in pieces! gotta get this bug outta my system!!!  
  
anyhoos, here's all the technical crap  
  
DISCLAIMER: stands for the entire fic. beyblade and all associated characters do not belong to me.  
  
WARNINGS: shounen-ai (boi x boi), kai x rei, lee x mao (mariah), and chinese foot binding  
  
SUMMARY: AU; beyblading the bit beasts are companions (pets) to their owners. Rei has returned to his village, which has undergone many changes since he left. He hasn't seen Kai in a couple of years, and something horrible has happened to him. Kai shows up and saves Rei from an awful fate, but the damage has already been done.  
  
NOTES: this was inspired by a report i'm doing for my history class on chinese foot binding. i knew of the practice, but not of the extremity of it. i was deeply interested in the foot binding, and i did some research on it, and what i found was shocking. i will not bore you with all of the info i found- i'm gonna try to present in the fic. foot binding was practiced for nearly 1000 years in China, and around a billion women underwent this painful procedure. for those of you that don't know, foot binding is wrapping a foot in layers of cloth tightly, causing the toes to curl under the ball of the foot, and the arch of the foot to rise, so that the ball and heal are closer together. afterwards, the girls could barely walk, and were often confined to their house. that's enough BS for now.....more info on foot binding in later chappies!! i'm gonna try and present a lil bit each chap.  
  
CHERRY BLOSSOMS  
  
Meeting Of The Council  
  
The adults of the village gathered in the large, ornate dwelling of the held elder. In the center of his house, which generation upon generation of village magistrate had lived in, the village folk flocked, bodies pressing against each other in the main chamber of the house, where all important meetings and events, other than religious ones, which took place at the sacred temple, occurred.  
  
An old man garbed in fine black, red lined silk stood upon a raised platform, waiting for the small crowd to settle down, his dull eyes briefly flickering over each face and nodding to himself, stroking his thin white beard with gnarled hands, his skin tan and coarse like leather. Though his vision was waning with old age, his eyes were still sharp enough to catch a flash of blue cloth hovering against the far end of the wall. Ah, so his son, who was next in line to become village magistrate once he was gone from this earth, had decided to show after all.  
  
Lee leaned against the wall, crossing his arms and looking his father straight in the eye, letting the old man know he wasn't very pleased, and had only come because it was his duty. He was the only young one here; the rest were all adults of various ages. Most of them were male, the females staying at home to tend to the children, but the number of females at this meeting was more than the usual, for this was a matter of life or death. Survival or defeat.  
  
The youngest of the elders, a 65 year old, rang the gong then took her place behind the magistrate. As the loud clang of the gong vibrated over the crowd, all fell silent and gazed up at Lee's father, who stepped forward as they all bowed low, showing a sign of respect. Lee bowed as well, then regarded his father with curious, wary eyes, not sure what to expect.  
  
"We have returned from meeting with the leaders of the other mountain villages, and we all have agreed upon a course of action that will ensure not only the survival of our villages, but a return to our former prosperity as well. As you know, our village is the highest and most remote of all the mountain villages, therefore, we were spared the illness that spread throughout the lower villages, claiming many of the lives of their young ones. However, our fortune is also our sorrow. Because of our harsher climate, our crops have failed for three years in a row. We still have our children, but they are starving, and we grow weaker by the day. The other villages' crops are abundant, but they do not have enough daughters for their sons to marry. We have plenty of daughters, though they are starving. Our solution is simple: we shall return to an ancient tradition, and arrange marriages for our daughters with men from other villages. The bride prices will be paid with in food. "  
  
Lee's mother, who often did not attend the meetings, allowing his father to run the village as he saw fit, spoke up, her thin, high voice carrying out over the air. "Are we to tear our children from their families, and sell them for food? They haven't been raised in the old ways; they might not conform....they may run away....."  
  
Lee watched his father nod his head, then addressed the crowd, but looked mainly at the females gathered there. "Many of our sons and daughters already do not wish to stay here and live in the village, as our ancestors have done for countless generations. They do not wish to be a part of their heritage; they have left of their own free will, abandoning their duties and responsibilities to our village, our people." As he said this, his fading eyes looked directly at his wife's, and she bit her lip and looked away.  
  
She knew who he was referring to; their other son, Rei. The son they had adopted as their own when his parents were killed in an avalanche, leaving a sick and injured kitten behind. They had taken him in, and raised him as their own, as Lee's brother.  
  
"It is almost certain that our older girls, who have been given more freedom than past generations, will rebel and try to run away. We must ensure that they don't; the survival of our village depends upon the successful marrying off of them. So, in keeping with the traditions, their feet must be bound."  
  
A shocked silence fell upon the crowd, then some men, and mostly the women, raised their voices in protest. "The government has outlawed it since 1911!"  
  
"Men no longer desire brides with bound feet; they want women who can work."  
  
The magistrate raised his hands. "I know, but that practice has only died out a few generations ago. Many of our elderly women are the last who have had their feet bound. The practice has long been dead in the flat lands and in the cities, but, as isolated as our villages are, it is still practiced by some. To the government, we are nothing but dots on a map. Binding the feet will ensure our daughters' obedience. We shall start with the oldest, who can be married first. Their feet are mostly bone instead of cartilage by now, so the process will take longer. I want the feet of every single girl, 15 and older, bound by sunset tonight. The elders and I will be coming around to check."  
  
The youngest elder hobbled over to the gong on her own bound feet and rang the huge, heavy metal disk with a heavy heart. The crowd dispersed, mothers leaving with lowered heads as they went off to collect their daughters.  
  
"Lee, come here." Lee had just uncurled from the wall, about to walk out, when his father called him over. "Go fetch Rei." He said, his voice thick with determination.  
  
Lee nodded, not questioning his father. His mother went over to him, laying a hand on her husband's arm. "You surely don't mean to have Rei's feet bound, do you? He's a boy-"  
  
"He ran away from our village once: he must be made to obey. He is young and beautiful. He would bring in a heavy bride price. We have our eldest son and heir, Lee. When we die, there will be nothing for Rei; this is best for all, and it is the price of his disobedience."  
  
Lee's eyes widened, and he clenched his fists as he walked away from his parents, off to find his adopted brother. How could his father do this to the village? Not only selling off the girls, but binding their feet? It was a barbaric practice, but....it ensured obedience... Growling, Lee motioned for Galeon to come to his side. The huge, monstrous black lion yawned and rose from his sleeping position under the shade of a low tree. He stretched his sinewy limbs and flexed his great, deadly claws before lazily walking over to Lee, who stood waiting.  
  
Lee glanced up at the sun; he still had a while before sunset, so he could give Rei some extra time to enjoy his last moments of freedom. Walking at a sedate pace throughout the village, the youth observed with uneasy eyes as mothers and grandmothers called their older daughters in from their chores, walking with lowered heads and saddened eyes, and the girls followed with wide, curious expressions, unaware of the fate that awaited them.  
  
***  
  
Mao followed her mother into the kitchen, and sat down in the chair the older woman motioned to. She cocked her head to the side, wondering why her mother locked the door. The woman then preceded to fetch a bowl of warm, lotus scented water and knelt down, bathing her daughter's feet.  
  
"Mama?"  
  
"Hush, precious." She said, keeping her gaze lowered, not meeting her daughter's eyes once, hiding the tears that trickled from her own. She gently toweled off Mao's feet, caressing the silky softness of the nearly perfect features before reaching for a 2 inch wide, 10 foot strip of cloth and sealing her daughter to a crippled, pain filled fate.  
  
***  
  
Lee and Galeon were on the other side of small village when an ear piercing scream wrent the air, the first of many in a long night to come.  
  
^^^^^^^^^^^^  
  
tbc.......  
  
plz review if you want me to continue, b/c, if not, then i'll just toss this in the trash! i seriously enjoy hearing what u guyz think! it means alot to me! 


	2. Up In The Meadow

first of all, a huge thank you to all who reviewed!!!!  
  
akai: an extra big thanks for that in depth review ya gave me on the ML! and i can see where it seemed like i was threatening for reviews. i use reviews as a way to see whose interested in my stories or not. i've got like 30 some stories, and only about 5 of them are finished, so whichever ones get reviewed the most, i tend to update, b/c well, those are the ones people are interested in! and i will try my best to keep him a guy, but.... i'm not making any promises! and, i absolutely luv lee and mao!! ^___^  
  
misty eyes: err....yeah, i know rei is a boy, but he's getting his feet bound b/c his father, the village magistrate, is still very ticked at him for leaving the village. it's a punishment of sorts. that, and according to the chinese government, (and, yes, this law is in effect now a days), families are only allowed to have two children because of China's population problem (one boy, one girl, i think) it used to be just one child, but families kept killing off the baby girls b/c they wanted boys. the 2 child law came into effect in like 1996 or 2000, somewhere in between there, because there werent' enough females. i might weave this into the story as well. i'm not sure.  
  
normally, a child's foot was bound between the ages of 3-7, but, since in the story, they've stopped the foot binding (that is now illegal in china), but the mountain villages, in the story, have re-instated it, going against the government. that's why mao and rei's feet are bound later. if the tradition had never been abolished, and brought back, then mao and rei's feet would already be bound.  
  
the notes section of this fic will contain info some info on foot binding that i've found and summarized.  
  
NOTES: foot binding lasted for around 1000 years, maybe more. it was deeply embedded within the chinese culture and psyche for several reasons: 1) it was the epitome of beauty. in a marriage, the grooms family didn't ask "how pretty is the bride", but "how small are her feet". chinese males had a sexual fetish for bound feet (much like american males love butts and boobs), and male prostitutes and dancers also had their feet bound. 2) it was a mark of chastity: if a girl's feet were bound, then she could not go very far from her house, thus she couldn't engage in any sexual activity or do anything in which her family could not see her. 3) it made women literally dependent upon men; it kept women from infidelity -cheating on their husbands- they could not walk very far without the help of a cane or a person, usually their husband. it kept them housebound, and fully dependent upon their husbands and family.  
  
2. Up In The Meadow  
  
Lee was solemn as he walked through the village, his eyes closed and body taught with tension. He didn't want to do this.......he didn't want to be responsible for bestowing this fate upon Rei, but he had no choice. His father, the head elder of the village, had commanded him, and he must obey. It was his duty and his obligation. His heart was torn between his adopted brother, and duty to his village. In the end......his duty won out. Lee was very devoted to his village, which was why he'd been chosen as the next magistrate. And, as future leader, he had to look out for the interest of the majority, not of one individual.  
  
The screams were dying down as most of the girls, and a few boys, had their feet already bound, and no wonder; the cooling temperature told Lee sunset was vast approaching, and Rei had no more time left; Lee had given him all he could. He began walking to the path that led away from the village with Galeon at his side, when he heard a soft, pain filled voice. "Lee?"  
  
Mao was sitting on the window seat of her house, her arms folded on the open window sill, and her head resting on her crossed arms. Her eyes were red from crying, and her face was flushed with pain. Galux was curled up below the open window, fastidously cleaning himself. The tongue strokes over his smooth, soft fur were swift and harsh, mirroring Mao's frustration.  
  
Galeon sat on his haunches, his tail flickering agitatedly, reflecting Lee's aggravation, as Lee paused, knowing he had to go get Rei, yet not wanting to. He stood still, neither walking foward nor heading towards Mao.  
  
The pink haired girl took in the tight lines of tension on Lee's face, studying his body intently with her sharp eyes. His fists were clenched tightly, and he was shaking with suppressed rage. "Lee?" She gently prodded.  
  
Lee's eyes closed tightly for a moment, then snapped open, blazing with loathing and determination. He was pissed as hell. "I'm going to fetch Rei." He hissed before stalking off, Galeon casually following, his tail still flickering.  
  
Mao gasped as she watched her friend go, something suddenly clicking in her pain fogged mind. Lee wasn't the type to run off and tell Rei the news; Rei'd learn when he returned, and gossiping was more along Kevin's personality. Neither would Lee leave to get away from this new reality; he never ran away from a problem. So there could be only one reason why he wanted to find Rei........Her eyes welled with new tears, these ones for Rei.  
  
***  
  
Rei sat leaning back against Driger, the huge white tiger's fur keeping him warm as the air grew cooler as the sun drew closer and closer to the horizon. He sighed and lay further back against Driger, who was already dozing off. His and Lee's mother had dismissed him from his chores early, giving him time to go and play in the mountains. He and the tiger were curled up in his favorite spot on the mountainside, a good way away from the village. This little meadow was his sanctuary, his place of solace, and his favorite place to go and hang out. It was here that his parents had died, here that he and the other kids, once they got old enough to go into the mountains without their parents, would come and play for hours on end, and here that Driger's mother had given birth to the tiger, all those years ago.  
  
Driger's ears suddenly twitched, his head popped up, his sharp gaze scanning the area as his ears swivled around, then focused on the well worn path. His body didn't tense, his claws remained retracted, and he didn't growl or bare his fangs, so Rei assumed everything was alright. Soon, his keen senses picked up what Driger had heard first- the sound of hurried claws scraping on stone, low growls of frustration, and heavy pants.  
  
Two seconds later, Mao, mounted sideways on Galux, came into view, the huge lynx nimbly leaping up the steep slope in a rush as the pink haired girl clung to his back. Galux stopped, laying down next to Driger and panting, his tongue flicking in and out. Mao stayed upon his back, a look of extreme worry and urgency upon her face.  
  
Rei stared at her with wide eyes. "Mao? What's wrong? Are you okay?" Mao rarely ever rode Galux, only when she was ill or injured; normally, she could run and keep pace with her over sized companion.  
  
Mao shook her head, tears welling once more in her eyes and running down her cheeks. "Rei, listen to me, there's no time to explain. You-"  
  
"Mao." Lee came out of nowhere, followed by his black lion, and his angry growl caused the girl to promptly bring her lips together, but she glared into his eyes.  
  
"Lee-" She pleaded, only to shut up once more as he growled low again in warning, his big fangs showing.  
  
"You shouldn't be here. Go back to the village." Mao glared at him, their eyes shooting sparks at eachother, then she looked away, tucking her newly bound and broken feet further under the hem of her long skirt in shame.  
  
Galeon glared at Galux, his huge, black mane ruffling up as the lynx held his ground. The lion strode over, staring intently into the other's eyes. Galux looked away, but didn't budge. "Enough." Lee barked, and Galeon's menacing growl ceased as he settled down near Galux, whose fur was bristled and still had his girl on his back.  
  
"What's going on?" Rei watched silently as the two fought, while Driger went back to basking in the setting sun. "Lee! Mao!" He shouted when the two ignored him. Mao looked away, at the horizon, biting her lip while Lee simply closed his eyes.  
  
Mao suddenly became very interested in smoothing Galux's fur, and she ignored both Lee and Rei, knowing that she was too late, and Rei would soon be in the same pain as she was. Hot tears slid down her cheeks, but she kept her head bent, hiding them.  
  
Lee could barely keep himself from shaking with his anger and frustration. He wanted nothing more than to do what Mao had attempted, and that was to tell Rei to run, to run and never come back. But that was not an option. Gazing at the sky, Lee knew that they had very little time left. "Rei, come on. There's something father wishes to discuss with you."  
  
"Really?" Rei stared in shock at his bigger brother, who was older than him by one year. Their father hardly ever spoke to Rei, unless it was necessary, and even then it was Lee and Rei both.  
  
Lee nodded solemnly, then turned and began to walk back. "Let's go." He walked past Mao, giving her a sideways glare of warning to keep her mouth shut. But Mao wasn't looking at him.  
  
Rei got up, followed by Driger, and went after his brother. As he passed Mao, he brushed her arm softly, causing her to partially glance up. His soft smile broke her heart, and, as he went down into the village, she whispered, "Rei....soon you won't be smiling at all...."  
  
&&&&&&&  
  
tbc........ 


	3. the binding

heh...been a while since i updated, ne? though, for me, it hasn't been that long; i've been known not to update for 3-4 months at a time.. *sighs *  
  
i've been having some trouble with this; i know what i want to happen, i just couldn't decide if i should turn rei into a girl or not; by that, i mean i would go and repost the previous chappies with rei as a female instead of male. not a big thing; just changing the he's to she's so to speak, but, i've asked on two beyblade MLs, and most peops said to keep him a boy, so he's staying a boy. sorry to anyone who wanted the gender change, but rei's staying a boy.  
  
now, replies to some reviews:  
  
gemini dragon elf: (from chapter one) yeah, i can see your point. thanx for pointing that out.  
  
auri: ^_^ you're the first one, that i know of, whose caught on to lee's inner conflict! and..yes, what happened to poor rei and mao...it's terrible! but the terrible thing is that it actually happened to over a billion women in Chinese history. and i love lee too!! alot of people always tend to turn him into a bastard, but i don't think he's like that at all!  
  
lillian and lime: yes, rei's foster father is a bit of a bastard,. you're gonna hate him even more in chapter four for what he does to lee! *sniffles *  
  
avril hiwatari: mao only said that line "rei, soon you won't be smiling anymore" b/c she already went through the pain, and knows how horrible it is! she and rei are actually friends! yes, i do like mao, just not when she and rei are a couple! *giggles *  
  
Elle-FaTe2x1 : *giggles * i like the name! does the 2x1 stand for duo x hiro from gundam wing? and, yes, it's horrible what's happening to them! and poor rei....worse is in store for him! ^__^  
  
aishiteru: lee's going through some internal conflict; he MUST obey his father, but he also doesn't want rei to suffer any. the chinese family is structred so that the eldest male (like the father) is the head of the house. males come before females. that's the way it was in china, and the way it still is. so..yeah, i can see how it would seem that he's a bit horrible, but....i feel as bad for him as i do for rei and mao!  
  
thankies to all who reviewed, and plz don't be afraid to review again! i seriously appreciate each and every review. i'd really love to respond to you all, but i only pic a few, and try to sort out any confusion/ answer any questions y'all have! but i really do luv all the reviews i get!! they each make me feel special! ^______^  
  
kai: gag me already! enough with your sentimental mush, and start the fic  
  
gee, ain'the warm and fuzzy, folks?  
  
kai: *looks like he's going to be sick * start the damned fic already!  
  
NOTES: heh,don't know what to say today. foot binding began around the 9th or 10th century, and was started in the imperial palace of the emporer and empress, then worked its way down through the social classes. it was a way for the wealthy to show off their riches by having a wife who could not work- it was stating they were so rich, their women did not need to do any physical labor, and poorer people bound their women's feet in hopes of marrying them off into a higher class, and to emulate the upper classes.  
  
3. The Binding  
  
"Ah, Rei, there you are!" Rei and Lee's mother waved them into the house. Driger and Galeon were curled up outside the house, enjoying the last of the sun's heat. "Lee, there's some rice in the wok on the stove. Go into the kitchen and prepare you and Rei a bowl. Your father's gone out this evening.....he had some business to attend to, so he'll talk to you when he gets back, Rei."  
  
Lee didn't look his mother in the eye. He merely nodded, as solemn, brooding, and silent as he was on the way down. His father didn't want to talk with Rei; he only wanted to make sure Rei's feet were bound. He and the elders had already left to make their rounds to check on all the bound feet. Without a backwards glance, Lee stalked into the kitchen, but he didn't feel like eating.  
  
Rei went to follow Lee, but their mother put her arm out, stopping him. "No, Rei, come here......sit down....." She had kept her head lowered, not meeting anyone's gaze, and her voice was much softer than normal, full of sorrow and guilt.  
  
"Mama, are you okay?" Rei asked as his mother pushed him down into a chair.  
  
"I'm fine, baby. It's you who I'm worried about....." She trailed off, turning around and locking all the doors so Rei would have nowhere to run. She returned to his side carrying a bowl of warm, scented water, and knelt down at his feet. "Rei....I have to do this.....the elders have decided.....you...." She stopped, almost choking on her tears, before drawing in a deep breath. "Rei, baby,......I have to bind your feet."  
  
"Bind my feet?" Rei blinked in surprise, thinking of the older village women who hobbled around on their own twisted stumps for feet, tottering and swaying.  
  
Rei's mother was silent as she slipped Rei's shoes off and placed his small, well formed feet into the water, letting them soak for a while before gently washing them, toweling them dry, then clipping his toenails so that there was hardly any nail left and causing several of them to bleed. During this, Rei tried to question her, but she shushed him. With shaking hands, she grabbed a ten foot, 2 inches wide strip of white cloth, took Rei's right foot into her palm, and began wrapping it.  
  
Rei clutched the wooden chair tightly, hissing in pain with tears slipping past his long, thick black eyelashes, which were closed against the pain being inflicted upon him by the one woman he loved. By his own mother. He whimpered as the bandage was wound tighter and tighter in a figure eight pattern around his foot, forcing his toes to bend under and the arch of his foot was pulled up from the pressure. Tight, so tight.  
  
His body was rigid and shaking, and he was now sobbing brokenly by the time she had finished with the first. Glancing down when he felt her gently caress his left foot, he gasped when he saw the difference between the two. His right foot had shrunk about a good half an inch all around, compressed by the tightly wound layers of cloth, with only his big toe still free.  
  
His mother's tears fell upon his left foot, tickling the sensitive skin there. He would've laughed if it hadn't been for the pain burning his right foot. She lightly ran her fingers over the sensitive pads of the bottom of his foot, trying to distract him momentarily from the pain. She caressed his foot once again, massaging it and causing his tiny toes to automatically wriggle, his slender body to squirm, and he emitted a soft giggle. She smiled through her tears before wrapping his other foot up, the smiles quickly vanishing from both their faces.  
  
Rei leaned into the hard backed chair, seeking refuge from the pain of his tightly bound feet. His mother stood up, put aside the bowl, then drew his hands into hers. "Oh, Rei, I'm so sorry. Please forgive me." She whispered in a choked voice and pulled on his soft hands, drawing him to his feet.  
  
As soon as his full weight, which wasn't much, was placed upon them, he let out a horrendous, loud cry as the four small toes on each foot were instantly broken, the bones snapping in half to allow blood to circulate. In the kitchen, the shattering of a pitcher could be heard as Lee, who'd been pacing and growling restlessly throughout the entire procedure, dropped the pitcher of water when he'd been pouring himself a drink. Rei's pain filled scream of terror rent his heart, but he held himself back from rushing in there. It wasn't his place....it was between mother and child only.  
  
Rei's mother fell to the floor with him, pulling his trembling body into her lap, his face buried in her shoulder, and she rocked him as he cried, rubbing his back, and offering whatever comfort she could to ease the pain. She ran a hand through his hair, unbinding the thick, silky black strands from their customary braid and white wrapper. "Rei, baby, it's going to be alright. Hush now, it's not so bad." Although, she wouldn't know; she couldn't imagine the pain he was in, for her feet had never been bound. She was the second generation to go without binding, and Rei and Lee's had been the fourth, until now.  
  
She held Rei, rocking him until he'd cried himself to sleep, nestled against her shoulder. Lee would occasionally loose his control and peak in, then just as quickly disappear back into the kitchen to pace some more, growling softly to himself and longing for something to smash, angered by the injustice of it all.  
  
Humming softly, as she used to when Lee and Rei were mere kittens, their mother rose to her feet with Rei in her arms. The sixteen year old was only an inch or two taller than Mao, and about 3 inches shorter than Lee. She'd been the strongest girl in the village in her youth, and Rei was light in her arms, though she hadn't been able to pick Lee up since he was ten years old. Lee was taller, with more muscle mass than Rei, who was soft and slender. She lay Rei down in his bed, tucking him in and tenderly brushed a thick lock of fluffy black hair out of his face, which was contorted with pain.  
  
Rei didn't sleep very well; his feet felt as if they were on fire, and he wanted nothing more than to rip the bandages off. But it was too late; his toes had been broken, and his feet were already starting to deform. Lee slipped into his bed, when both their parents were asleep, and laid Rei on top of his chest, holding him and soothing him, trying to take his mind off the excruciating pain.  
  
%%%%%%%%  
  
well, there's chappie three! let me know what you guys think! like it? hate it? lemme know, and if there's anything i should change i'm quite unsure of this myself! and, yes, kai's going to come soon!!!!  
  
oh, yeah, i'm also working on some pics of rei with his feet bound. i'm gonna do one with him wearing lotus shoes (the type of shoes worn on bound feet) and one with his feet unwrapped, so you guys can see how horribly deformed the feet were!  
  
next chapter: two years have passed, and we take a trip to russia! kai's in the next chappie! we're setting the stage for kai and rei's reunion; it's gonna take a couple of chappies to set up, but when it happens, i promise you, it's going to be very emotional, and great!  
  
kai: *sarcastic * joy oh joy.  
  
*snorts * ain't he just mr. sunshine? 


	4. in voltaire's study

okies, to the reviewers, thankies for reviewing! *giggles * and, i've decided, even if i can't respont to y'all, i can at least mention you all by name, b/c yindz were nice enough to review, the least i can do is say thanks! i'll try to answer as many reviews as possible, but...well, i also kinda need something to respond to! so....*shrugs * here we go!  
  
chibi kitty, android 71, angel yame, enkeli, ella-fate 2x1: thankies for reviewing, glad you guyz are enjoying da ficcie!  
  
fangbaby: kai's in this chapter. him and rei don't meet up yet, b/c kai and his grandfather have some.....unfinished business to discuss, so to speak. basically, kai pulls a fast one on the old geezer. (yes, i'm being disrespectful to voltaire. but i hate that man!) oh, and i think you've reviewed alot of my other stories (ygo ones) as well- ur names familair to me for some reason! thankies for all the reviews! *huggles *  
  
lillian and lime: yeah, that was nasty, and chapter 5 doesn't get much happier. and i'm glad you've noticed lee's mother's internal struggle as well! she's a 'liberated' woman; her feet arent' bound, and, because of the chinese patriarchy, she really has no voice in the family; her husband's word is law. ouch! breaking your toes must have hurt! and, yes, the big toe is left out for balance! without the big toe, they wouldn't be able to stand! ^__^ you've done your homework!  
  
aishiteru: i agree, they dont' deserve it, but if ya wanna know why they did it, plz refer to chapter one! still confuzzled? tell me and i'll straighten it out for ya!  
  
chowburger: thankies for adding my fic to ur fav. list! *blushes * and, thanks, yes, i did try to make it so that readers could feel his pain. errr.....that sounded......kinda....weird....but, ne wayz yeah, that's what i was trying to do! glad it worked! ^_^  
  
storm driger: definately.....a different review! not bad, though! i enjoyed it. *giggles * however, lee and him and rei's mother are against the foot binding. but they really have no say in it, and they are bound by their culture to obey the head of their family (the father), so there is really nothing they can do about it! rei can't run off to kai; he hasn't seen kai in a long time,a nd he doesn't even know where he lives! rei's in a secluded, remote mountain village, while kai is far away, in a mansion in russia with voltaire.  
  
you did bring up a very interesting point that i'd forgotten about! arigato for reminding me! many girls did, infact, try to remove their bindings; that's why, after their bindings were tightened, their mothers would sew up certain parts of the bandages so they couldn't be removed. now, yes, i'm sure some girls were really rebellious and did try to resist all forms of the binding, but after the initial binding, the damage was done! the feet were broken, and there was nothing they could do about it. also, it was so ingrained in their culture, the vast majority of girls did accept it as the normal practice, and those that didn't were real odd balls in deed. (think of how dobby the house elf from harry potter is regarded in book 4)  
  
NOTE: this here will really churn your stomach, so if ur eating....i advise to u read this later, or stop eating. Once the toes were broken, the bones on the instep were next. they were broken so that when they healed, from the pressure of the bandages, they would form an arch, kind of like a rainbow shape, on the foot, bringing the heel and the ball of the foot together. this painful process took two years to fully complete and heal. there was poor circulation in the feet, and, as a result, parts of the foot would become rotten and would have to be cut off. infection and gangrene were common. 10% of girls with bound feet died from infection. cutting chunks of rotten flesh off of the foot only helped to decrease it's size. needless to say, the feet reeked. charming, ne?  
  
4. Kai's Strategy  
  
Two years later..............  
  
Kai Hiwatari sat in the rigid and finely upholstered chair in the massive, gloomy, and dimly lit study. The high walls were paneled with dark cherry and decorated with the stuffed and mounted heads of his grandfather's victorious hunts from his youth. Rare beasts from across the globe hung from every wall, their fierce marble eyes and frozen snarls glowing eerily in the flickering firelight from the huge brick fireplace. Over the mantle hung a life sized portrait of a young Voltaire on a hunting expedition in Africa. In one of the darkened, shadowy corners, Dranzer, Kai's pet phoenix, sat upon her heavy metal perch, her steel like claws rattling the iron noisily as she preened herself.  
  
Kai sat with his arms crossed and eyes closed, ignoring the stern lecturing of his grandfather, Voltaire, and listened instead to the clang of the bird's claws against the heavy iron, and the clicking of her thick, sharp beak as she tended to her gleaming, immaculate red and gold feathers. She was a huge bird, twice the normal size of a pure blood phoenix, but that was because she was also part sphinx. She had all the appearance and magic of a fire bird, but her strength, size, and brooding nature came from her sphinx blood.  
  
"Kai Hiwatari!" Voltaire snapped when he saw his grandson wasn't listening, causing the hard crimson eyes to open and regard him with an unreadable expression. "You're 19 years old, Kai. It is time you were married."  
  
Kai's look became defiant. "I told you, I am not getting married."  
  
"You're heir to the Hiwatari name, fortune, and Biovolt. You have the family honor and legacy to uphold. You are duty bound to be wed. Your father was wed by his 20th birthday, so was I, as was my father, as was all the Hiwatari males. It's tradition. I don't care if you want to. You have to."  
  
"I. Don't. Care."  
  
"I didn't ask if you did! You've rejected all the females I've chosen so far, but YOU WILL BE MARRIED."  
  
Kai growled in annoyance. They've had this conversation numerous times, after each of the numerous prospective brides had been rejected. Voltaire was becoming impatient. Kai was becoming impatient. They were both getting sick of playing this little game. Kai knew he couldn't win, but his pride refused to let that pompous old windbag win, either, and a stalemate wouldn't be the end of this round. Someone was going to win.  
  
Kai frowned, closing his eyes and thinking. Maybe there was a way he could be wed and still screw the geezer over. His thoughts drifted upstairs, towards the only photograph on his desk, and the beautiful young neko jin in it. He remembered the promise he'd made Rei, two and a half years ago, when he'd accompanied his grandfather on a business trip to China and had met and fallen in love with a young Chinese neko. It had been him and Rei's last moments together.  
  
+++ flashback +++  
  
It had been raining that day. Kai stood alone with Rei held tightly in his arms, gazing up into his eyes.  
  
Rei's deep brown and glowing amber eyes sparkled with tears as he stared deeply into the deep wine depths of his koi's. "Kai.....I have to go back to my village. I've already stayed too long......I was never given permission to leave the village....but....I wanted to get out and see the world a bit....I've stayed longer than I should have.......and...Lee, my brother....he found me...he's taking me back, I have no choice, Kai, I have to go. But....I love you! I don't want to leave you. I don't want to go back; there's so much out there in the world. Take me with you, Kai!"  
  
The dark golden depths shined a bright, blurry yellow as they filled with sparkling tears, silently pleading with Kai, who kept his face impassive, his heart breaking inside. After a few moments of silence, and Rei had received his answer, he broke down, sobbing against his chest. Kai held his koibito, rubbing his back, and savoring the feeling of that soft body against his. It was as if they were made for each other; Rei's body fit so well against his own, the Chinese neko's softness complementing the hardness of his own body.  
  
"Kitten.....I can't; now is not the time. My grandfather....." Kai trailed off, closing his eyes and balling one hand into a shaking fist. "I have a lot of training left before I take over the company...that's the focus of my life right now, but....."  
  
Kai paused, unclenching his fist and putting a finger under Rei's chin, lifting his head to gaze down into his eyes. "I'll come back for you, I promise." Kai leaned down, brushing a soft, gentle kiss across his forehead. "Hush, koneko. It will be alright." He held Rei tightly while he sobbed against his chest once more.  
  
"Rei." Another neko jin, this one with tan skin, and thick black hair held in a pony tail at the nape of his neck, stood with a glare in his eyes and his arms folded across his muscular chest.  
  
Rei gasped, his head shooting up, sending his tears flying, as he turned and saw his brother. Lee growled softly, and Rei wiped away his tears and started to leave the warmth and safety of Kai's strong arms for his brother's side. Before he fully pulled away, Kai quickly reached into his pocket and pressed a brilliant ruby choker on a black chain into his palm.  
  
Rei paused to gaze at Kai with shining eyes and to examine his gift, but Lee's impatient, deep and menacing growl grew louder, causing Rei to scamper back to his side. Lee turned with a final glare at Kai, and walked away with Rei in tow.  
  
Kai had watched him go, then went back to the hotel suite he shared with his grandfather, to get ready for his flight back to Russia, and training for taking over the company with Voltaire's retirement.  
  
+++ end flashback +++  
  
Kai's lips twisted upwards in a smirk. He had his grandfather right where he wanted him, and now he could make his move and end the game. Voltaire was beyond frustrated with his grandson, and would now be more willing to allow Kai to choose his own bride rather than pick it out himself. And Kai knew exactly who he wanted.  
  
His grandfather was pacing up and down, glaring at his grandson, and continuing his lecture. "I do not understand what your problem is. I've selected some of the finest girls Russia has to offer, yet you barely glance at them once before turning your nose up-"  
  
"I'll get married." Kai kept his voice impassive, but his lips smirked at the stunned expression on Voltaire's face. This was the first time in his life he'd ever seen the old man loose his composure. After allowing it to sink in for a few minutes, and enjoying the flabbergasted expression, Kai continued. "On one condition. I want to pick my bride."  
  
Voltaire's eyes narrowed. "I gave you a wide selection to choose from."  
  
"No, I want to do this completely on my own."  
  
Voltaire hesitated, turning it over in his mind, and realizing it was the only way this would be accomplished. "Very well, but I have the final say whether or not she's acceptable. She must be fitting of the Hiwatari name."  
  
Kai chuckled coldly. " 'She' will be." He said, rising to his feet and walking past his grandfather. "I'm leaving for China; there's a few good prospects there." Voltaire frowned in anger as his grandson disrespectfully got up and left without his permission.  
  
Near the doorway, Kai let out a low whistle, and Dranzer squawked indignantly, her claws rattling the iron as she took off, landing in with a plop on Kai's shoulder and causing him to stumble a few steps.  
  
Kai muttered a few choice, colorful words describing her as he regained his balance. Dranzer ruffled her brilliant red feathers, attempting to gain back some of her dignity as she angrily clicked her beak, using a string of colorful words in phoenix tongue, giving her opinion of Voltaire, and even a few words about Kai.  
  
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tbc, if you guyz still want it! plz review !!  
  
kai: *snorts * yeah, just so she'll have more bsing to do at the beginning of every chappie!  
  
^____^ you know it! the more reviews i get, the happier i am!!! plus, you guyz help give me insight to my story, and help inspire me as to where i should go with this thing!!  
  
yes, kai and rei will meet up, eventually, but probably not for a couple more chappies! 


	5. the golden lotus

I just wanna say that my internet has been revoked...i wuz over my grandma's house for like a week; she's recently gotten out of the hospital and needed some help around the house, and this weekend I came home and was at a party..  
  
Kai: and you got drunk off your @$$  
  
_ yeah..so..heh..i'm kinda like grounded for eternity, andI don't know when the next chapter will be coming out. I'm at school right now, sneaking this up. But this semester is almost over (may 5th lst day) so I dun know when next I'll get a chance to update!  
  
Thankies to all who reviewed! Gomen nasai, minna *bows deeply* but I don't have time to do the usual thanks!! But I really do appreciate all the reviews! They help keep me inspired! ^_____^  
  
NOTE: the ideal length of a bound foot was 3 to 5 inches long. 3 inches was considered the most beautiful, and it was called the golden lotus. women wore specially made shoes that had a small, pointed tip with a wide opening up top to allow for the unnatural, high arch of the foot. the shoes were called lotus shoes.  
  
5. The Golden Lotus  
  
Rei sat on the grassy knoll over looking the village, a gentle breeze playing with his hair. His long bangs fluttered freely in the breeze, unfettered by a head band, and his long, calf length hair was held back in a low pony tail, but it was not wrapped and hung freely, fluttering as well.  
  
He heard the sharp, piercing cry of a hawk, and glanced up to watch the bird glide majestically by, his breath catching in his throat. The bird was free; so free. Rei reached out a light blue cloth swathed arm, palm extended, almost as if he could reach out and grasp the freedom the majestic bird represented, then watched as the hawk banked left around a misty mountain peak and out of sight. He sighed, lowering his arm and allowing it to rest on his bent leg. Normally, the tip of his feet would have been peeking out, but now.......  
  
Rei felt bitter tears burn his eyes, and he angrily wiped them away. He shifted so his legs were extended in front of him, and stared with resentment down at the white bandages and beautiful, delicate lotus shoes encasing his small, broken feet. Two years. Two painful years of ever tightening bandages, shrinking shoes, and deadly infections that had left him bedridden the majority of the time.  
  
Soon after the small toes had broken, with the next tightening of the bandages and the new shoes that were half an inch smaller than the first, the instep bones had been broken, so that they would heal in a high arch and bring the balls of his feet closer to the heels. Within the next few days, the first of infections had set in. Rei had laid, trapped in his bed and burning with a deadly fever, his feet still tightly bound. The infection was the first in a long line; he'd even had a case of gangrene. His feet had gotten so badly infected that the flesh had started to rot.  
  
He vaguely remembered through the misty haze of pain and fever his mother standing over his unbound, rotting feet with a knife, and, as she cut away the dead chunks of skin and muscle, he'd heard his brother's and father's voices in the adjoining room. That had been the first and only time Lee had ever spoken up to their father. The next day, Lee had been sporting a black eye.  
  
Even with the infections and raging sickness, Rei had been forced to walk about the house a bit every day by their mother, who insisted he must learn to walk and bear the pain of such tiny, sore, and beautiful feet. The binding process had continued for two years, Rei's feet slowly bending and shrinking until they were only three inches. His healing had only just begun a month ago. Though his feet would remain forever warped, they were no longer being molded; they had reached their ideal shape. The infections were becoming less severe, and the pain was somewhat bearable. Or maybe he'd dealt with it for so long, he was used to it.  
  
Rei laid back, closing his eyes and basking in the warmth of the afternoon sun. A lock of soft raven hair fell across his face, and he blew it back, then snuggled further into the warm grass. Something large, rough, wet, and warm suddenly licked his soft cheek, and he opened up his eyes to gaze into a pair of light blue flecked with dark blue orbs. Rei crinkled his nose as the assault on his face continued, then he rolled over, away from his attacker.  
  
Driger sat back on his haunches and twitched his long whiskers in amusement as he watched Rei glare up at him. "You win, you big fur ball." Rei mock glared as he sat up and began to pluck strands of grass out of his hair.  
  
The huge white tiger suddenly growled and crouched low, leaping in front of Rei protectively, his furry body taut, fangs bared, claws at the ready, and muscles coiled to spring. Rei, whose ears weren't as sensitive, turned in the direction Driger was growling at, his amber eyes wary and watchful. He heard the faint, unusual sound of tree branches bending as a great weight was placed upon them, and rocks crumbling from a force other that cats' paws. Whoever it was, they weren't from this village.  
  
While Driger crouched lower, his claws scraping at the dirt, Rei cast about for something to defend himself with, for, with his crippled feet, he wouldn't be able to get away. The low grunts and scrapes were getting closer, and Rei shuddered with fear, but told himself that Driger was there. Driger would protect him. After all, next to Galeon, Driger was the strongest cat in the village.  
  
Despite his resolve to be brave, Rei couldn't suppress his whimper as a great, furry white head popped into view. The animal was huge, with hair, not fur, and human like limbs and a long, curling tail that could grasp, and instead of paws, it had human like fingers. A monkey. Rei whimpered again, and, just as Driger was about to launch an attack, another, much smaller figure appeared.  
  
The figure spoke rapidly in a different dialect to the monkey, who immediately sat down meekly, watching the huge cat with wary eyes. The strange words, while still Chinese, wasn't Mandarin, which was China's official dialect, but it wasn't the local dialect, either, which meant the boy and his strange monkey were from a different part of rural China.  
  
The very small, wiry and nimble figure appeared into Rei's line of vision. It was a very small boy with green hair, one visible purple eye, and an amused smirk, which bared one fang.  
  
"Kevin." Rei's voice was a mix of surprise and relief, and he reached out to Driger, calmly running his hand along the soft and thick black and white fur, silently soothing the massive beast and telling him everything was alright. Driger clamed down, laying down on his stomach and retracting his claws, but he kept himself between the outsiders and Rei, who lay his head on the tiger's back, nuzzling the warm fur.  
  
"Long time, no see, Rei." Kevin smirked, his eyes shining with delight at seeing his childhood friend again. "Pop should be coming to your house soon; I'll race you there." The smaller boy, who was younger by one and a half years, crouched down, ready to spring up. "I bet a monkey is faster than a cat!" He challenged, then glanced backwards when he heard no movements from Rei.  
  
Rei hadn't moved, still laying on Driger, except his face was now hidden against the white fur. "I can't." Was all he said, ignoring the look of astonishment passing over Kevin's features.  
  
Kevin was of the monkey clan, which was further up north than the cat clan, though his mother was originally from the cat clan, which was why he was well known and accepted in Rei's village. His brief visits, which happened every 3 years or so, were bittersweet. It was nice to see his friend again, however, Kevin traveled with his father, who worked for the Chinese government. It was Kevin's father's job to go around, making sure that families had only two children at the max, and that they were one boy and one girl, to help keep the population controlled and gender balanced.  
  
And the Kons had two children, two boys: Lee and Rei. Lee was the eldest, the strongest, the next leader of their village, and their father's heir. He was registered with the government as a boy. Rei, on the other hand.......  
  
"Rei. Kevin." Lee arms wrapping around Rei and pulling him to his chest startled the younger boy, and he glanced up into Lee's worried eyes. "Lee?"  
  
Lee merely held Rei tightly to him, as if he wanted to protect him from the outside world, from the harsh realities of life. He pressed Rei's face into his chest, forcing the amber eyed boy to look away, while he turned to Kevin, glaring at him accusingly.  
  
Kevin put his hands up, backing away a few steps. "Wo, don't look at me like that; I didn't say anything to upset him. All I did was ask him to race back down the mountain."  
  
Lee's glare didn't soften, but it didn't harden, either. He merely rubbed Rei's back, though he wasn't crying. Lee whistled low, and Galeon, who'd gone and sat next to Driger, keeping his eyes on the monkey and Kevin, came over to his side. Lee gently lifted Rei and sat him sideways on Galleon's strong back, to give Driger a break from carrying Rei. Without Driger, or Galeon, Rei would have been confined to the house; he couldn't take more than a few steps at a time without being in severe pain.  
  
"Yeesh, what's everyone's problem? First Mao is so down, then Rei, and Lee.....you're disposition hasn't improved much....." Kevin rubbed one hand behind his head nervously, wondering if his old friends still even counted him as one of them.  
  
Galeon shifted, and Rei buried his fists in the lion's black mane, and caused the hem of his wide leg pants, which modestly hid his bound feet, to ride up, exposing the three inch lotus shoe to Kevin's quick eyes, which widened in surprise. "B-bound? But.....that's...i-illegal." The surprised boy turned to Lee, who merely shrugged.  
  
"The elders wished it. Thirty years ago, it was the custom of many mountain villages. Old habits die hard. But...when I am leader...." Lee curled one hand into a tight fist.  
  
"You still won't be able to right the wrongs your father did." Kevin said in a rare moment of wisdom.  
  
Lee's eyes were closed, and he merely nodded, then turned, Driger and Galeon automatically getting up and starting to follow him. "We'd better be getting back."  
  
Kevin merely nodded and sadly watched Rei, who had his head hung in shame, clinging to the black mane, and avoiding Kevin and Lee's gazes.  
  
&&&&&  
  
hot dog, that was a long one!!! ^____^  
  
well, plz review!!! Even if you've already reviewed, you're more than welcome to review again! I seriously don't mind, and I feel really honored when you guyz feel my fic is good enough to be reviewed more than once! ^_^  
  
and, yes, very, very soon (within the next two chappies) kai comes to meet rei! We'll see what a traditional Chinese wedding is like! 


	6. a cricket for good luck

sugoi! this is like the most reviews i've gotten for a chappie! *glomps reviewers * i wuv you guyz so much! ^____^  
  
chibi rei: ai! ai! *blows spit bubbles and grabs at his feet, happily babbling incoherently *  
  
*giggles * ain't he cute, folks? if you review, you can hold my chibi rei! ^_~  
  
kai: you're pathetic, bribing your readers like that.......  
  
*sticks tongue out * it's not a bribe! it's an incentive! plus chibi rei is so sweet and adorable- i just gotta share the luv, don't ya know!  
  
kai: ..O_o right......  
  
ehm....*clears throat * first of all, thank you to all who reviewed! i really do wuv it when i get reviews!  
  
oh, and Auri: girl, you're onto something, there, with Kai's 'bride' needing to be female, and Rei registered as a female.......geez, you guys are so hard to surprise sometimes.....^_~  
  
secondly, this'll be the last chapter in which i'll do a notes section. y'all already have all the info on foot binding ya need to enjoy this ficcie. there may be a notes section from time to time, depending on if ya guyz need to know anything or not. there may be a few interesting ones when we get to Russia. all depends on what's gonna happen, ^_~  
  
NOTES: in China, because of it's huge population (they've got like a billion peops....1/3 of the world's population, with India a close second), there was a law that families could only have one child. However, peops kept killing off the girl babies- they wanted boys to work and be able to support them in their old age. So, eventually, the males out numbered the females, and the law was changed to two children. All of that I know for a fact. However, I do not know if ti's required that there's one boy and one girl. But, for purposes in ths fic, I'm making it that way- only one boy child, and one girl per family. Oh, and everyone in the village knows Rei's a boy- he's just registered with the government as a girl, cuz of the law, so around Kevin's dad they're gonna call him a girl.  
  
&&&&&&&  
  
chapter 6: a cricket for good luck  
  
The trip back to the village was made in a heavy silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Kevin led the way with Galman trotting along obediently at his side. The young boy occasionally glanced backwards at the stern faced Lee, whose expression was frozen and unreadable, his eyes hard and carefully guarded, and his arms crossed. He tried to look beyond the broad shouldered Lee and huge white tiger for glimpses of Rei, who, along with Galeon, brought up the rear.  
  
Lee kept his eyes firmly fixed on Kevin and his monkey, wondering whether or not they could be trusted. Kevin was his friend, though he hadn't seen him in nearly three years, so he was unsure of how much the boy had changed. He was worried that the green haired child of the monkey clan would tell his father about Rei's feet. He had always kept silent about Rei's true gender, but that was because if the government found out that the Kons had two sons, then the youngest son, Rei, would be taken away and killed.  
  
The law stated that families may have up to two children, one boy, and one girl. Not two of each; China's population was so huge, it needed to be strictly controlled for the good of everyone. Kevin's silence was largely due to the fact that he wouldn't want to see one of his few and only friends dead by his hand. But ratting out the foot binding wouldn't harm Rei, other than making him under go the process of unbinding, which was just rebreaking his feet and would end up crippling him even more. It would be Lee and Rei's father and mother who suffered the punishment. Lee would have to have a talk with Kevin to ensure his secrecy.  
  
Rei kept his head down, chewing on his bottom lip and mentally cursing his bound feet soundly. They were just another thing he must keep hidden. Here he was, sixteen years old, and the worst law breaker in his village. Why did he have to bring so much shame and dishonor to his family? He tried so hard to please them, to be good like Lee, but......here he was, a boy masquerading to the government as a girl, with bound feet to boot. Such a disgrace to anyone who ever bore the Kon name.  
  
Rei kept a firm grip on Galeon's mane, staring with unseeing eyes down at his slender hands and the lion's black fur. He was so lost in his thoughts and trying to ignore Kevin's probing, curious gaze that he didn't hear the words exchanged between his older brother and his long lost friend. He was jarred back to reality by Lee's muscular arms wrapping around his slim waist and under his knees, lifting his slight weight then cradling him against his chest.  
  
Lee tucked Rei's head under his chin, pressing down and warning Rei to keep silent and let him handle this. He stood near the door to the house, watching as Galman scampered off after a few words in a strange dialect from Kevin, while Galeon and Driger walked to the other side of the house and settled down in their usual spots under Lee and Rei's bedroom window. He slipped off his dusty shoes then carried his adopted brother into the house, with Kevin following.  
  
Kevin's father and Lee's father sat cross legged upon some old cushions at a low table laden with bowls of rice, fish, and tea, the two graying men engaged in a quiet, serious conversation while Lee's mother, silent and looking down at her hands, sat a good bit back away from her husband, ever obedient and ready to wait upon him.  
  
Lee did a little half bow, holding Rei protectively, and gave the necessary, formal greetings to his elders. "Rei's not feeling well; I'm putting him to bed." He said, then, after their father nodded, he took Rei into the bedroom and laid him down on his bed by the window.  
  
"Lee-" The older boy placed a finger over Rei's soft lips. "Hush, Rei. Now's not the time for words." He gave a pointed look at the door, and the younger one nodded. Lee then helped Rei undress, throwing his dirty clothes into a pile in a corner of the room, slid open the thin closet door, and pulled out from one of the shelves a long, loose night shirt that always slid off of one of Rei's shoulders. He slipped that over his head, then removed the tiny lotus shoes, leaving the crippled feet in nothing but the binding straps.  
  
Rei snuggled under his blanket as Lee tucked him in. "I'll come back and help you bathe later." He said, kissing each of Rei's eyelids then his forehead. Rei nodded as Lee reached into the closet and pulled out an old pair of slippers that no longer fit him, tossed those at the foot of Rei's bed for appearance's sake, then slipped out of the room.  
  
***************  
  
Kevin knelt on a pillow at his father's side, staring respectfully at the ground and listening wordlessly to the adult's idle chatter. His fingers were buried in the blue gray cloth of his pants; he was just itching to go and talk to Rei, and find out what happened to his friend. Rei had been so down, and the green haired boy wanted to cheer him up.  
  
He waited until Lee came back, bowed briefly to Kevin's father, mumbled something to his father, who nodded, then took off, out the door without a backwards glance. Then Kevin sprang into action, seizing his opportunity to gain his father's attention. "May I go and sit with Rei?" The question was asked to his father, but Kevin glanced at Rei's father.  
  
Kevin's father hesitated, not liking the idea of his only son being around someone who was unwell, but he did not want to appear rude or ungrateful to his host. He watched as the lead elder of the village, who nodded his head in approval and Kevin sprang up, eagerly rushing towards Rei and Lee's room, knowing the way from memory.  
  
He knocked softly then slipped into the darkened room, peering at the figure lying in the bed. "Rei-chan?" He whispered, not wanting to disturb his friend. Though he knew Rei really wasn't ill; Lee had just said that so Rei wouldn't have to be around his father, and risk having his feet exposed, Kevin didn't want to wake Rei if he was sleeping.  
  
Rei was unresponsive, his beautiful, sorrowful amber eyes closed, but his body did tense. The shorter boy walked over and kneeled besides his bed, brushing away a few thick, tangled black locks from Rei's forehead. "Rei- chan....talk to me, please......"  
  
Rei turned his head away from Kevin's touch. He didn't want to intentionally hurt his friend, but neither did he want Kevin, someone he'd known practically all his life, and one of his playmates, to return and see him like this, so broken.  
  
"Rei-chan....." Kevin pleaded, and Rei let out a sigh, then opened his eyes to stare at the smaller boy. Kevin smiled, giving his familiar one fanged grin, and hesitantly stroked Rei's soft cheek. Rei didn't respond, but he didn't turn away, either.  
  
"Ne, Rei-chan......do you think I could see your feet?" Since Rei was so silent and moody, and Lee his unapproachable self, the only way Kevin figured he'd get to the bottom of this was to see Rei's feet for himself. That, and he was curious. He'd seen pictures of women with bound feet, but he'd never seen it in real life, and his curiosity was piqued. He wanted to know why his friend was in such misery.  
  
Rei's eyes turned to angry slits. If Mao was here, she would've snapped at Kevin for his impudence and lack of manners. Rei growled softly in his throat, warning Kevin to back off. "Hey, chill, Rei-chan. I didn't mean any harm by it-" Kevin raised his hands defensively.  
  
"Get out." Rei spoke softly, glaring intensely at his friend. He didn't want Kevin's sympathy, nor did he want the thousands of questions Kevin was sure to ask. And he most definitely didn't want to be treated as a side show freak. Kevin always had had an obsession for the odd, bizarre, and morbid, and Rei didn't want his twisted feet to become an object of fascination for the boy. Besides, no one but Rei's family and his husband, if ever he married, had the right to see his feet unbound, let alone touch the deformed stumps.  
  
Kevin's eyes widened, their purple depths slightly hurt, then he turned and walked out of the room, glancing sadly back at Rei, who had turned his head to face the wall, gazing out into the new, starry night and listening to the sounds of Galeon and Driger's heavy, loud purring, the wind rustling, and the crickets chirping.  
  
Kevin went into the hall, listening to the night noises as well. He leaned back against the wall, wanting to cheer Rei up, and make up for his earlier blunder. In his eagerness and concern, he had forgotten propriety, and by asking to view Rei's feet, had committed a score of social blunders. He sighed, wondering how to make it up to him. Then, hearing the crickets, and idea came to him.  
  
He would get Rei a pet cricket! Crickets were bringers of good luck, and Kevin was sure Rei could use some of that about now. The small boy dashed off to the guest room he and his father were currently occupying, dug through his travel bag, and pulled out a small, bamboo cage. He then climbed through the open window and set off, using the moon and stars for light. He was going to find Rei the biggest, luckiest cricket of them all.  
  
**********  
  
Kevin moved stealthfully throughout the village, slinking along in the shadows until he was at the back of Mao's house, where a cheerful, small streem bubbled happily. And where the sounds of the crickets were the loudest. He was sure the king of the crickets was here somewhere, and he was determined to capture him.  
  
His cage lay open on the grass, and he himself was standing knee deep in the water near the shore, his pants rolled up so he wouldn't get soaked as he peered through the reeds and bamboo stalks. He'd already come across several good sized crickets, but none of the bugs were big enough to satisfy him. He just _knew _ the perfect one was out there. And he would find the little bugger.  
  
A ripple of water behind a rock caught his attention, and he crept over. There, on a long, wide leaf was the biggest, fattest cricket he'd seen yet, and Kevin knew he'd found it. He'd found Rei's lucky cricket. The bug chirped loudly, and Kevin grinned with delight. It was so big and fat that the leaf it was perched on was bending under it's weight.  
  
Looking happy as an American child at Christmas, Kevin reached out to gently grasp the creature in his hands. But the cricket hadn't lived to become so big by being slow. It stopped chirping and hopped away. Kevin pursued it all the way to the shore, where it hopped into a patch of mud and held perfectly still, believing itself to be safe. Kevin grinned again. He had it now. He dived, his hands cupping and covering the fat bug, and coating himself in mud from head to toe.  
  
He put the bug in the now muddy bamboo cage, shutting the small door firmly and gazing happily at it, and sighed in contentment. "You were alot of trouble to catch, but I bet that'll just add to your luck. And you'd better bring Rei-chan extra luck." He told it sternly, wagging a finger at the cricket the breaking out into his usual grin.  
  
Yawning, he scampered back to Rei and Lee's house. He glanced down at himself; he was in no conditionto go inside. A quick dunk in the stream would fix that, but....he really wanted to give Rei his gift. He didn't want to, however, go into his room again. He didn't want to risk opening his big mouth and hurting Rei further, so he decided to set the cage and cricket on the windowsill.  
  
Kevin gulped and tip-toed past the sleeping Driger and Galeon, who opened one eye and watched him warily as he hastily reached up, placed the cage on the window, then turned to high tail it out of there. Just as he was a safe distance away from the two big cats, a light from a candle was shined on him. "Hold it right there, buster." Kevin gulped and turned to face his enraged father.  
  
"Hi, pops." He smiled innocently, acting as if there was no reason in the world for him to be outside Rei's window at night, covered in mud from head to toe.  
  
His father sighed, a weary expression on his face. "I don't even want to know what mischief you got into this time. It's too late for you to take a bath; go to the stream then stay outside until you've dried. If you die of pneumonia, it's your own stupid fault-" He was cut off by a gently touch on his arm.  
  
"Send him out back. I'll bathe him in the washbin." Lee and Rei's mother spoke softly and urged Kevin's father to do the same, lest her husband wake up. Kevin's dad nodded, and Kevin breathed a sigh of relief. The look in his father's eyes, however, told the boy he was in for it when next they were alone.  
  
He scuttled to the back of the house, where Rei's mother was already filling up the wash tub, which was used to wash clothes, with water. She had a cracked, dried bar of lye soap and towel sitting on the ground. The woman, clad in a nightdress, motioned for him to undress and get it.  
  
Kevin obeyed, and sat curled in the rusted metal bin, goosebumps dotting his flesh and teeth chattering as the night air hit his naked body, and the water the woman was using was cold. There was no time to heat it up. She scrubbed him harshly before dumping a pail full of cold water over him, rinsing him. She worked in silence, not scolding him since he wasn't her child to scold.  
  
Thorougly washed, his mud caked clothes soaking in the used water over night, Kevin crept into his room, his head lowered like a puppy with its tail inbetween its legs. His father said nothing, only glowered angrily at him. Kevin pulled out his night clothes, and lay down, the water from his body making his bed damp.  
  
He knew he was going to be in big trouble for his little stunt, but it was worth it. He'd do it a million times over if it would restore a spark of life to Rei's eyes. Curling himself into a ball for warmth, Kevin's last thoughts before falling asleep were of a pair of glowing amber eyes, the gold and brown depths dark with sorrow and pain, robbed of their sparkling happiness and great love of life.  
  
The sleeping boy was filled with the suspicion that even the world's fattest, luckiest cricket wouldn't be able to save Rei from all the misery fate had instore for the beautiful boy.  
  
&&&&&&&&&  
  
ooooh.......a little bit of foreshadowing on my part! ^_______^  
  
and, very soon, Kai's coming to claim his 'bride' We'll have a wedding, then it's off to Russia, and we'll learn a bit about the Russian culture, and the Hiwatari family. And Voltaire may have lost this battle with Kai, but the war's not over yet!  
  
Stay tuned so ya don't miss all of the twists and turns I've got planned. And when I say twists and turns, I mean it! I'm notorious for throwing monkey wrenches into the fics i'm more serious about- my longer fics. *thinks of her yugioh fic, the bet *  
  
and this, folks, is turning out to be longer than i expected, but....hey, you guys seem to be enjoying it, and i'm having fun writing it, so .....lets see how much fun we can have, ne? 


	7. forgotten love

wibble wibble, just when you think i've died.....i crawl back out of the grave...MWAHAHAHA *evil, insane laughter *  
  
rei-chan: EEP! *leaps behind kai, shaking * save me, kai!  
  
kai: -_- bakas.....  
  
rei-chan: *sniffles * * bursts into tears* you think i'm and idiot!  
  
kai: O.O i didn't.....i.....i....  
  
*giggles * aww, poor rei-chan! *cuddles rei-chan * it's alright, poor kitty...  
  
rei-chan: *purrs *  
  
kai: *glares *  
  
O.O um......meeble? *reluctantly hands rei-chan over and runs away before kai can chase * ehhhhhh.....*massive sweat drop * *turns to her lovely reviewers * well, thankies to those who reviewed....and.....i haven't updated in so long cuz, well, LIFE SUX. i've been a very busy bunny lately, and....um...  
  
THIS IS THE CHAPTER YOU'VE ALL BEEN WAITING SO PATIENTLY FOR! dun dun dun.......mighty kai is here to save the day....*howls *  
  
kai: -_- your level of stupidity amazes me  
  
you level of insensitivity amazes me  
  
rei-chan: START THE FIC ALREADY  
  
chapter 7: forgotten love  
  
Birds chirped merrily in the small, scare trees scattered throughout the small village, their songs welcoming the first faint, timid rays of an awakening sun. Wives and mothers were up, just starting to stoke the fires and cooking breakfast. The men and children were still nestled in their beds, and the dogs, pigs, and other animals were shifting around, hunting for a morning meal. Driger and Galeon had long been up, their big body imprints in the dry grass underneath the windowsill cold.  
  
Fully dressed, Lee bent to grab his shoes from the floor when he heard a soft mew, and looked sideways to see Rei's thick black lashes fluttering open, revealing sleepy amber eyes. "Hmmh....Leee?" The smaller neko murmured tiredly, preparing to push himself up.  
  
Lee put his shoes back down and leaned over him and Rei's shared bed, cupping Rei's soft cheek in his large palm. "Hush, Rei. Go back to sleep; it's alright. I'm going with father to escort Kevin and his dad down the mountain; they're leaving today."  
  
Rei smiled, his eyelids drooping again as sleep called him back to her soft embrace, and his body relaxed fully into the flat mat. Lee let loose a rare smile, pleased to see Rei at peace, even for just a few moments, and if only in his sleep. "Rei, when you get up, look in the corner by the window; Kevin left you a present. I had to move it from the windowsill; Driger and Galeon were pawing at it when I woke up."  
  
"Hmmmm....." Rei replied, snuggling down into the covers and nuzzling Lee's hand, and the older boy wondered if he even heard him at all. Just then, his father called his name, and Lee grasped his shoes, gave his little brother a quick kiss on the nose, and darted off, slipping his shoes on as he ran.  
  
***************  
  
Rei yawned and stretched, his arms coming from beneath the warm blanket to meet the slightly cool air as his soft lips stretched wide open to briefly reveal his sharp, small white fangs. He then rolled his head, stretching his neck, then twisted from side to side. Doing one last stretch, he sat up, fully awake now, and looked about the room, wondering where Lee was.  
  
Then he remembered what had happened earlier that morning, when he was only half awake, and he smiled. He was going to miss Kevin, but he was glad the smaller boy was gone. It would have been pure agony to watch as Kevin and Lee took off, running, playing, and swimming, while he could do naught but watch and be reminded of the way things used to be. The way things should be.  
  
The kitten sighed and shook his head, forcing the melancholy thoughts that constantly plagued him out of his mind. He then turned his head to gaze at the morning sun, which was steadily growing warmer as it climbed higher in the sky, and he frowned at the muddy windowsill. Mama would be mad at him and Lee if she saw that muddy mess. But....how did it get like that? Neither him nor Lee were ever that untidy.......looking down, Rei saw a bamboo cage with the biggest, fattest cricket he'd ever seen. Both the cage and cricket were soaked in mud, which had dried to light brown dirt by now.  
  
Rei crinkled his nose and wondered how such a messy creature had come into their room when he remembered Lee saying something about Kevin and a present........this must be Kevin's present to him. It had to have been; Rei tended to be messy at times, but he'd never been anywhere near as sloppy as Kevin, and he remembered six years ago, him, Kevin, and Lee had all made bamboo cages to go cricket catching with. Rei and Lee's had been forgotten long ago, but Kevin had still kept his.  
  
Guilt pierced through Rei's heart, and he bit his lip in shame. He should never have treated Kevin like that. The small, green haired boy was one of his closest friends, and here he'd been, pushing him away like that. Kevin was often bumbling, and sometimes came across as cruel, even though he didn't mean it.  
  
Rei's hands fisted in the sheets and he turned his head away from the sleeping, dirt caked insect to gaze down at his trembling hands. He was tempted to throw his shoes on and chase after Kevin, throw his arms about the shorter boy and tell him how sorry he was, but he knew he'd never make it in time. Maybe he would have stood a chance, if his feet weren't bound and he could run like he used to, but now.....not now. There was too much he'd have to do, and not enough time to do it. Kevin was probably almost at the base of the mountains by now, gone for another score of years, and Rei was suddenly plagued with the suspicion that he'd never get to see his friend again.  
  
Rei chewed his full lower lip, not liking it at all, but knowing his cause was a hopeless one. For starters, his mother would never allow him to go chasing after Kevin by himself, even if Driger accompanied him. He'd have to get dressed, which was a slower process these days, hobble to the door way and yell for Driger, then pray the white tiger had stayed within hearing range. Rei sighed, his head hanging in defeat as he gave up, and he said a quick prayer to the Kon ancestors that Lee had been able to smooth things over and pick up the pieces of his mess once again.  
  
The youngest child of the Kons glared at the blanket, annoyed that he had to depend upon Lee so much. Then, with a thoroughly defeated sigh, Rei flopped backwards and pulled his pillow over his face and inhaled deeply. The scent that met his keen nose was deeper and muskier than his own light, breezy scent. He'd grabbed Lee's pillow, not his own. Scowling, the young nekojin sat up and flung his brother's pillow towards the wall in agitation. Instead of landing against the wall with a satisfying whump, it flew right out the mud-spattered window.  
  
Rei clenched his teeth. This was already turning out not to be his day. Blowing a soft lock of thick, fluffy raven hair out of his face, Rei turned his annoyed glare on the innocent cricket in the corner. "You're supposed to be giving me good luck, not bad." He told the insect, who ignored him.  
  
Groaning, the nekojin flung the cover aside and peered over the side of the bed; Lee had put a pair of lotus shoes out for him. His scowl deepening at the dreadful thought of the tedious, slow task of dressing himself, Rei was about to go back to bed when the warm, delicious smell of breakfast tickled his nose and caused his stomach to rumble.  
  
A faint blush staining his gently tanned cheeks, Rei decided that, since it was only him and Mama in the house, he could get away with wearing just his nightshirt and binding straps to breakfast, then maybe Mama would help him get dressed and do his hair. The scent of cooking food urging him on, Rei planted both feet firmly on the hard packed dirt floor, grasped the wooden wall, and hauled himself to his tiny, crippled feet.  
  
He hissed as pain lanced through his crumpled toes and along his bent bones; he'd stood up too fast, instead of gradually placing his weight upon his crippled stumps. Lifting one foot barely a centimeter off the floor, Rei slid it along, then dragged his other. His steps were halting and unsure, like he was some newborn babe learning to walk for the first time. But he walked like this everyday, and would for the rest of his life.  
  
Slowly, painfully, Rei tottered his way out of his room and down the hall, one hand on the wall. By the time he reached the kitchen, which was very close to the bedroom and only took normal feet two seconds to get there, Rei was panting heavily, the lopsided collar of his huge, stained and torn nightshirt was nearly down to his elbow, and his hair flew about the place, wisps of it uncurling from his long, loose, fat braid that fell just below the back of his knees.  
  
He paused to rest and regain his breath along the wall, and he heard his mother clattering about the kitchen. He frowned; normally, she wasn't so noisy. It was as if she was nervous about something. Knowing that if his mother was upset over something, that he should go back to his room and wait for her to call him and be properly dressed, with his humiliating bound feet modestly hidden, Rei looked back at the way he'd came. Though the distance was short and should've taken him no time at all to go back, for him back tracking meant another ten slow, agonizingly painful minutes of tottering.  
  
Gulping and stealing himself for his mother's expected fury, Rei grasped the door frame and lifted one foot, planted it firmly, slowly placed his weight upon it, letting his body roll from one foot to the other, then lifting the other bent foot, placing it down, and repeating the process, his bent bones scrunching painfully under his weight with each step.  
  
His head popped into the kitchen first, followed by the rest of him. He still had a tight, supporting grasp on the doorframe when he saw what- or who- had his mother clattering about so recklessly. There, in the corner, perfectly poised and relaxed with a stern, closed expression on his face, sat a muscular boy who was a good foot taller than Lee, who was short and stocky. The boy had pale skin, and two hues of blue in his spiky hair. His eyes were closed, but apparently he'd heard Rei; his head came up, eyes snapping open to reveal hard crimson pools.  
  
The effect was immediate; Rei started shaking, his amber eyes going wide and turning a bright orangish color, and he let out a fearful whimper. His mother, who had her back on the strange boy and was clanking about, jumped at her son's helpless mew, dropped the pans she was holding, and whirled about, her eyes wide and instantly going from the boy, who hadn't moved other than opening his eyes, to her son, who looked like he was going to shake himself apart.  
  
Walking in a wide berth around the crimson eyed boy, never taking her eyes off of him and baring her fangs in what she hoped was a threatening manner, she hurried toward her adopted offspring, gathering him in her arms and rushing back to his room and sitting him on his bed.  
  
Trembling, Rei sat up and hugged himself, gazing up at his mother questioningly. "I don't know who he is; he just showed up shortly after your father and brother left, demanding to speak to you. He wouldn't leave, so I said he'd have to talk to your father first. He sat down in the corner and hasn't moved since. He's not from this village; he isn't even Chinese; what could he possibly want with you?" His mother shuddered, answering her son briefly, then regarded him with a cool gaze.  
  
"I-I d-don't know him, Mama." Rei trembled, and his mother's suspicion suddenly fled, and she embraced him in a hug.  
  
"Of course, sweetie." She soothed, stroking his messy braid before gently pushing him back, her tone much softer now. "Don't worry, Mama won't let him hurt you. I want you to stay here where it's safe; I'm going back out in the kitchen to make sure he doesn't steal anything. Your father and brother should be back shortly." Rei nodded numbly as his mother kissed him then hurried out of his room, shutting his door firmly, and the kitten was sure he heard her lock it.  
  
Rei sat on his bed, shaking, his eyes wide with terror. He hadn't exactly told his mother the truth; the boy was familiar to him, but Rei didn't know who he was. As soon as he'd laid eyes on him, his insides had frozen up and his mind started spinning, trying to dredge up forgotten memories. Even know, thoughts whirled around in his head, confusing him and making him feel dizzy. That boy......that boy with the blue hair and cold, cold eyes.......he was so familiar.......he knew him......but he wasn't from the village, and Rei had never left the mountains in his life.....or had he?  
  
Rei mewed, clutching his pounding head, falling backwards on the pillow and tossing and turning as his thoughts wrestled with one another. His heart was thumping wildly, and he was terrified that he was dying. He cried out as his head throbbed and he felt as if he was going to throw up his churning insides any minute now. His slender body tossed and turned, sweat breaking out on his forehead as he wrestled with his mind.  
  
He knew him; he knew he knew that boy! But from where.....and who was he.....how did they meet......what did he want......Think; Rei had to think; he had to fight his way deep into his mind, into the dark recesses of his mind where forgotten memories dwelled. But it was hard, so hard, reliving those times, when his feet had first been bound. He had shoved all memories of that time period, of those few years, back and locked them away. He didn't want to feel the pain and hatred he'd felt towards his father, and anger he'd felt towards Lee and Mama, who'd allowed his feet to be bound. It had been so confusing; he'd been so full of resentment, his family nearly breaking apart. Then the infections had set in, driving him into a fevered stupor for nearly two whole years and shoving his memories back even further.  
  
The pain, fevers and resentment had been forgotten; it had been much easier to dwell on the present, avoiding father as much as possible and letting Lee and Mama take care of him. But, along with those dreadful memories, something else had been lost. Something vital to his existence, the key to his heart. And, that something had to do with that boy. But what was it?  
  
Damn it all, why couldn't he recall it? Everything was so confusing; thoughts whirled around in his head, bits and pieces of memories overlapping one another in a jumbled rush. Lee with a black eye.....Mama standing over his feet with a knife......Father yelling at him for running away........running away.....the city......crimson eyes.....warm, caring crimson eyes.........  
  
Rei gasped and sat up, his eyes wide with shock. Could that have been real? Could he actually have run away? He must've.....if it had been just a dream, the what was that strange boy doing here? Rei scrunched up his face and shook his head violently, knocking himself off balance and rolling off of the bed and landing with a dull thump on the floor.  
  
The young neko winced, sure his shoulder and thigh were going to bruise, and knew Lee wouldn't be happy to see any new bruises on his body. He blinked, his breath heaving, and opened his eyes, staring under their bed. He hadn't been in this position for years, ever since his feet were bound. It was definitely a different view.......and there was some thing under the bed.......  
  
Rei reached out, pulling himself forward with his arms until his upper body was under the bed; towards the top was a wooden board covering a hole in the earthen floor. Curious, he removed it and pulled out a dented, rusty tin box. Luckily for him, it opened easily, and he pulled out a dusty, but astonishingly beautiful, ruby choker.  
  
Coughing a bit at the dust he stirred up, Rei stared with watery eyes at the jewelry and, almost as if a key to a locked door had been turned in his mind, long buried memories came rushing forward, and he remembered it all.......he remembered everything.........  
  
He knew that strange boy was, and what he wanted. Finally, after all this time, Kai Hiwatari had come back to keep his promise. To take him away to fulfill a long forgotten dream.  
  
tbc.......  
  
&&&&&&&&  
  
wibble wibble, there ya have it! ^^ ack, and i forgot to answer reviewers ^^  
  
aishiteru: i didn't know that! thankies for telling me. and rei didn't break any laws, he just feels like that cuz he's forced to dress as a girl (when gov. officials are around) and his feet are bound. poor lil kitten ^^  
  
android 71: meeble! sowwies i missed you! *bows *  
  
wibble wibble, thankies to all who reviewed! wuv yous ^^ *giggles * 


	8. chapter 8: marriage arrangements

NOTE: Okay, I'm having problems with chapter 8. It won't show up, and when I went to re-load it, chapter 8 did not show up on the replace button. It was chapter 7, then 9, so I have to upload this as another chapter. (bows) Gomen ne, minna-san, for any inconvenience!

yes, after another long wait-nearly two months- i'm back with another update. . tho, this hasn't been a very bad length of time for me.....tho, t'was also longer than usual; my average time b/t updates is a month....so, i was only twice as long..:P

thankies to those who reviewed; i'd never dreamed i'd hit the 100 mark with a beyblade fic . y'all made me one happy camper. huggles and tosses out kai and rei plushies

oh, and if anyone is curious as to where i got my information, here are some of the websites i've used. i made sure they are all reliable sites; they are all websites of colleges and universities, and most of them give bibliographies, so you know where they got their information from as well. here they

copy and paste those into your browser if you're curious. don't forget to add www. before hand .

dark dragon: thank you for your support, and rock on my american brother .

elle fate 2x1, android 71, fangbaby2002, and aishiteru: thanks for reviewing every chapter. i appreciate it. sorry to anyone i've missed who also falls into this category! gomen ne! bows

ice spirit: yup, rei did get amnesia, from all that pain, etc he'd been through. sorry it was too short! i hope this one's longer!

aisaki sumi: i really hate getting into petty arguments with little girls, but your naivete is highly amusing. based upon the way and logic you've presented your claims with, you don't even dignify a response. grow up, learn to write an persuasive argumentive essay with some real thought and reliable supporting evidence, then get back to me.

gah, sorry for the incrediably long a/n's peops, and it won't happen again. i just wanna say i'm open to corrections if i'm wrong on any information (akai pointed out some mistakes much earlier in the fic- arigato .) however, if you want me to listen to you, you must show me that you are intelligent and know what you're talking about. not someone who rambles, misspells, contradicts herself, and doesn't even pay attention to the author's notes. thank you, and i deeply apologize for the long a/n's. it shan't happen again. bows deeply, groveling at reader's feet

&&&&&&&&&&&

Kai leaned against an old, patched up wall, his eyes closed to help him ignore that annoying old woman who kept clattering her pots and pans and throwing dirty looks at him. Since she had no authority in this house, he had no use for her. He wanted to see either Rei's father or his brother; they were the two that controlled Rei's fate. The sooner he talked to them, the sooner he'd get his bride and he could get out of this stinking, piss poor, back watered hell hole.

And Rei.....what on earth was the matter with the boy? As soon as he'd seen Kai, he'd stood, staring at him and shaking like a leaf. Kai snorted then heard the wretched female jump and drop her broom. Useless, interfering old hag.

He raised his head, his body instantly alert, as he heard two low male voices chattering away in the local dialect. It wasn't Mandarin, but it was close, and Kai could make out the jest their conversation. The men entered, their voices and foot steps dying abruptly as they spotted him. The older man, whose voice was gruff and hoarse, immediately questioned the old woman.

"Who is he, and what does he want?"

"I do not-" Kai cut the old woman off as he opened his eyes, raised his head, and caught the old man's attention. He was determined not to waste anymore time here than he had to. "I'm Kai Hiwatari, and I'm here to marry Rei Kon."

Lee's hands were fisted and he fought to keep himself from growling. How dare that bastard leave Rei heartbroken by making a promise and then abandoning him? If he had arrived a few years ago, Rei's feet wouldn't have been bound, and perhaps Rei's dreams of travel and adventure would have come true. He glared at Kai, but since his father was handling this, kept silent.

Kai stood up, towering over the withered, elderly man. "My family is wealthy; I can pay triple, even quadruple the bride price of any man in this village, or even in the city. You'd be able to buy enough food for your entire village, clothes from the city street markets and even the stores. Your son could have a car, your wife silken dresses, real pearls and diamonds." Lee and his mother perked up at Kai's last words, the elderly woman beginning to preen and fuss with her messy bun and faded, wispy gray hair.

Their father gave him a dubious look. This outsider had no respect for his elders, and flaunted the common social etiquette. He was brusque and straight to the point. "How do I know your words are true, that your not just some thief come to rob me blind and make off with my precious daughter?"

Kai snorted. "Drop your pretenses. I know how you really feel about Rei, your second son." He ignored the harsh growl from Lee and the two gasps from the older folk. He pulled a wad of Chinese cash from his pocket and tossed it to the old man, who caught it.

Lee's father stared down at it in shock. Before he could say anything, Kai continued. "There's more where that came from. Name your price, and I'll pay it."

The older man's jaw worked, and he frowned a bit. "How do I know you're not lying, that this isn't a trick?"

Lee looked like it pained him severely to say his next words. "He's honest, father. He met Rei when he was in the city, and he filled Rei's head with much more nonsense than that." He nodded to the money. "That fancy necklace he gave Rei was worth about six hundred-thousand American dollars, and it was imported from America, too......."

"Rei promised me his hand in marriage." Kai said, as if this sealed everything.

"Rei has no say in who he marries!" The older man snapped.

"Lee heard, and he never annulled Rei's promise."

Lee flinched under the elder man's angry gaze, knowing there was going to be hell to pay later. But it was worth it. Kai was Rei's one chance at fulfilling his dreams, of ever leaving this place. He, Lee, could never leave the village, no matter how much he may wish to. He was bound to it. But Rei, if he married Kai, would be free from all that tied him here. Rei would have the best things in life, be well cared for....he could rise above his station in life, and live like an empress......

During all of this, Rei's mother listened intently, her hands shaking and tears forming in her lined, tired eyes. She finished straightening up in a hurry, then quietly slipped to her children's' bedroom and opened the door.

Rei was sitting on his bed, gazing down with gentle tears clinging to his long lashes and a soft look on his face at a dirt encrusted necklace. That piece of junk was supposed to be the fancy, expensive thing the foreign boy gave her second son? Yet, under the dust, the red jems in the jewelry still sparkled. Red jewels.....red gems....what were they called? didn't know-she'd never seen them before in her life; she just guessed from the way they sparkled, they must be the real thing, whatever they were called.

Rei heard the door click shut; he gasped, his head shooting up and his hand clenching and disappearing behind his back. "M-mama?" He attempted a regular tone, but his soft voice was jittery with nervousness.

She put her hands on her hips and scowled down at him. "Don't you dare 'Mama' me, Rei Kon! That weird boy out there says you promised to marry him!" She snarled the last few words.

Rei flinched and looked down. "It's true, Mama. He loves me! He really does! Why else would a refined, worldly boy like him marry someone like me?" Tears trickled down his cheeks as he raised his head to look for the first time in his life at his mother with defiance and determination in his eyes. "And I love him, Mama!"

She deflated under her son's imploring, stricken gaze. Her heart never could stay hard against him. She came over and sat besides him. When she reached out to stroke his hair, he flinched and scooted away from her, looking down at his lap and the necklace that had been returned to it.

She studied him for several minutes, before saying quietly, "This isn't just about love, is it?" Rei tilted his head up and gave her a perplexed look. She smiled. "You were never meant to be here, were you? I've always know, deep down, that you were meant for so much more than this simple life. Even when you were little, helping me in the field, you were always gazing up at the clouds, or at the sun, and you'd ask me, 'Mama, what's over that mountain.' "

Rei looked down and blushed. "My heart fills with wonder and longing just thinking about it. There's so much out there....it calls to me." He raised his head and gazed earnestly at his mother. "I want to see it, I want to be a part of it. There's so much more to life than this little corner, and I want to find out what's out there. I tried once, but......." Here he gazed down sadly at his feet.

"You were young, and innocent. You couldn't take care of yourself. But, baby, if that boy can truly give you your dreams.......if he is all he says he is, then he can protect you, dote on you; you'd never want for anything, you'd be well taken care of........"

The door suddenly opened again, and Lee walked in, looking miserable yet relieved, came in and closed the rough, faded wood quietly. Stalking over to them, he whispered. "Father's decided.......you're to wed that Kai Hiwatari, soon as the bride price has been paid in full"

Rei broke down into joyous tears, flinging himself into Lee's arms and sobbing on his broad shoulder.

tbc........

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wah, this chapter sucked. -- it fell...so flat. but the next one shall be much better, i promise you! next chappie, rei'll say his good byes, and it's off to russia! (about time, ne?) and no whiny, immature brats just making false accusations up, pathetically looking for attention and wasting your and my valuable time. i'd much rather be writing, and you'd much rather be reading the fic, ne?


	9. ch 9 good bye isn't forever

woot! here it is, at 1 am, another chappie, finished! i was going to update my ygo fic, "the bet", but....i wanted to get this written. and it was updated quickly, too! ^.^  
  
oh, and everyone, thank you very much for your support! especially maytel. i really do appreciate reviews; they're what's keeping me dedicated to this fic. i've got 2 new other plot bunnies that've currently started breeding in my comp, and they're now one and 2 chaptered fics.......very angsty....^.^ but i promise you, i will see 'china blossom' finished out   
  
oh, and, i must apologize for dark dragon's comment. i'm sure everyone knows which one i'm referring to; if not, go check the reviews. i apologize on his behalf * bows deeply at readers' feet* gomen nasai, minna! i just happen to believe that people are people, and shit like race and sexual preference shouldn't matter (well, okay, i get freaked when i see someone with green skin and antennas, pointing a ray gun at me and saying "take me to your leader) ^_~  
  
ah! Sugoi! i drew a piccie for this ficcie! *giggles * i drew a pic of rei with his feet bound, so ya'll can see what bound feet looked like...err...well, as best as i can draw 'em, anyway. but to really learn what they looked like, 'tis best to see an acutal photograph. or a pic from someone with better drawing skills.   
  
ne ways, here's da link; type this into ur browser: oh, add www. before it!  
  
angelfire.com/goth/sweet_kitten8/reiboundfeet.jpg  
  
maytel: O.O 1/6 the world's population? wow, that one shocked me. and thankies for the correction. ur one smart bunny. have a cookie ^.^ thankies for pointing out all that info, some of which i think i said in the author's notes.....funny, how when two peops research something, they actually find the same stuff out....who'd've thought that? ^_~ peops, for more info on china and footbinding, go check out maytel's review!   
  
riku: hey, i've seen rei's name spelled like this all over the place. that's why i spell it the way i do (and plus, i like it; it looks pretty ^.^) and, to be technical, i do believe his name is spelled like that in the japanese version, but dun hold me to that; it's just something i remember some one on the Kai x Rei ML saying once, when there was a huge debate over ray vs rei. me, i dun particularly care, and i dun wanna get into that again!  
  
ruriko: in yaoi, when a boy acts overly "feminine" it's called being uke, aka the bottom boy. though, i really do hate stereotyping based on gender. boys have to act like this, and girls like that. *crinkles nose * that in itself is a huge debate....O.o damn...this story just seems to bring those up, ne? i just don't see why boys can't cry, and girls act tough. but, yes, i am guilty of playing up the "uke" ness. i like it, so i write it ^.^  
  
sakura: yes, i am the queen of slow updates. chalk it up to evil plot bunnies multiplying, a hectic life, and random spurts of motivation. that, and i get easily sidetracked ^.^   
  
thankies to everyone else who reviewed! gomen for not answering you all, but i'm sure y'all just wanna get to the fic, ne? impatient lil buggers ^_~  
  
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chapter 9: good bye isn't forever  
  
Lee held his brother tightly in his arms, Rei snuggled contentedly against his chest. He'd been up all night, holding the smaller boy. This was the last night he'd ever hold Rei like this, for come daybreak, Kai was going to take Rei away to Russia. Thinking this really was the last time he had alone with his brother, Lee held him all the more tighter.   
  
Rei's sleeping face scrunched up a bit, and he mewed softly. Lee loosened his hold, kissing Rei's brow, and the boy settled back down, purring softly again. He was going to be so lonely without Rei; the neko was the light in his dreary life. It was going to be cold and dark without him there. But it was best for Rei; he'd never been truly happy here.  
  
The only thoughts that comforted Lee were that he had had a talk with that blue haired foreigner, getting an address out of him so that he could write to Rei, and a promise to protect and love the neko jin. They had talked privately before the wedding ceremony, and Lee hadn't mentioned Rei's feet. Kai would find out when in the marriage bed; once fully bonded to Rei, both in name and deed, then he couldn't turn his back and cast the helpless boy aside.  
  
Rei stirred, his long lashes fluttering as he raised his head and planted a sleepy kiss on Lee's cheek. "Lee, go to sleep; you look tired."   
  
"How can I sleep? In just a few hours, I'll never see you again."  
  
Rei nuzzled the older boy's cheek comfortingly. "That's not so; I'm sure Kai will allow me to come and see you, or you come and visit us in Russia; it'd be a good experience for you, to get out of here and see a bit of the world....and we can always write..." Rei yawned and dropped back off to sleep, snuggling against Lee again.  
  
Lee hugged him tighter, intent on drawing out every second of their last night together, Rei's last night as a virgin. However, the seconds, minutes, and hours flew by.   
  
***********  
  
Rei Hiwatari knelt in the familiar grass besides Driger on top of their favorite hill. He had his slender arms wrapped around the white tiger's big body, face buried against the soft fur as he sobbed. "Driger, I wish you could come....I'll miss you so much..."  
  
Rei's thin shoulders shook with each hard cry, and the thick fur was saturated with his salty tears. He'd never been apart from Driger for more than a few hours at a time, and now he was to leave the tiger behind, only seeing him on the occasions Kai allowed him to visit.....if Kai ever allowed him to visit....  
  
Rei shook his head, fighting off the fear. Lee had assured him that he'd made Kai promise to let Rei come back, that he'd never severe Rei's ties with the only family and place he had ever known. And Kai never broke a promise.  
  
"I'll..come back. L-Lee's going to take good care of you, Driger." Rei pulled back, sniffled, wiped at his eyes, then broke down crying again. "I wish you could come with me." But he knew that wasn't possible; Driger was a huge, wild animal; he couldn't live in Moscow, except in a zoo. No, Driger's place was here, in the village, no matter how much Rei wished otherwise. He clung to the white striped fur, weeping sorrowful tears. He never thought that saying good bye could be so painful.  
  
He had always dreamt and longed for the day when he'd finally get to leave the village behind. But he never imagined it would be so painful. Lee, Driger, everything he'd ever known his entire life was going to be left behind; he never imagined it could hurt so much.  
  
And his feet.....How would Kai react once he found out? During the wedding ceremony, Rei had been bound by tradition to remain silent and submissive, letting the males carry on, and he knew Lee and Father hadn't told Kai. Rei's mother had insisted on him wearing dresses with long skirts that effectively hid his feet; Kai would only see his feet when Rei was fully undressed before him. Rei shuddered and cried harder.  
  
"Rei...Rei-chan...it's time to leave; your husband is waiting for you." Rei flinched away from Driger, then turned into Lee's waiting arms. Lee snuggled Rei against his chest then stood up, carrying the light weight boy with practiced ease.   
  
Driger roared softly, sinking down from a sitting position to a laying one, and watched with sad eyes as his master was carried off. Though tigers couldn't cry, it looked like this particular one's heart was shattering on the inside. Galeon laid next to Driger, nuzzling his cheek. But the tiger ignored the big, black lion's administrations, watching until both their masters disappeared over the hill.  
  
"Rei-chan, hush. Don't cry, Rei; it's bad luck." Rei sniffled, dabbing daintily at his eyes with the corner of his long sleeved dress, the hem of which effectively hid his bound feet better than pants could.  
  
Rei plucked at stray blades of grass clinging to his burgundy skirt, then shifted the white sleeves of his top before settling himself under Lee's chin when they met up with Kai, who was ready and waiting to go.   
  
Not looking Kai in the eye, afraid he would see his tears, Rei looked over Lee's shoulder for one last glimpse of the place of his childhood. "Lee, tell Mama-"  
  
Lee hushed Rei with a kiss to his forehead. "You've already told her all that's in your heart; you've said your good-byes, Rei. Be brave and strong like Driger, and start your new life." Rei nodded, dabbing at his eyes again.  
  
Kai marched ahead, burdened with his and Rei's bags while Lee carried Rei. He said nothing to the boy's silence. Lee said it was custom for the bride to be unresponsive to her husband until after he had claimed her in the marriage bed, making her his. It was tradition. As was carrying the bride into the groom's house.   
  
Kai snorted, not really believing much of it, but willing to humor Rei, who seemed deeply distraught about something, and was always caught fussing with the hems of his skirts. The rest of the family seemed to be keeping something from him as well, but, other than being annoyed, he didn't pay it much mind. It was probably some breech in their oh so precious traditions. He sneered silently. He had Rei; that was all he cared about.  
  
He heard a soft sniffle, and looked over his shoulder, but Rei's bent head was obscured by soft, thick raven bangs and Lee's chin. Seeing Lee's glare, Kai glared right back, then turned away. He would let the wretched nekojin comfort his bride; it was, after all, the last time Rei would ever see his brother. And Rei was no doubt crying, mourning his loss of what he had always longed to leave.   
  
Kai decided to allow Rei and Lee this last bit of time together, letting his thoughts slip ahead to Russia. He smirked as he imagined the look on his grandfather's face when he came home with a Chinese bride straight from the mountains. The old geezer was sure to be furious....Kai could hardly wait. And if he found out that the beautiful Rei was actually a boy.......the young heir's rebellious joy grew, but he suddenly stopped himself. Rei's life would be in danger of Voltaire ever found out.  
  
Kai shook his head, shoving the nagging feeling of guilt for the life he was about to condemn Rei to. That wasn't his problem; he'd found his beautiful bride, the one whom he loved. He'd had his way, instead of his grandfather's. He was satisfied. Guilt assailed him again for his selfishness, but Kai merely growled then cleared his head, focusing solely on getting to the airport and his private plane.   
  
tbc.........  
  
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anyone catch the bit of foreshadowing at the end on Kai's part? if ya did, then, while you won't know what's in store for our poor neko, you at least know it's not gonna be too happy..........  
  
now that we've met rei's family, it's time to meet kai's. i'm gonna try and make it interesting; forget the usual, done to death, boris, take over the world, and secret lab thing; we're just gonna find out about kai's ancestors, some infamous russian historical figures, and how the Hiwatari household is run. which, after all that i've got planned, y'all might wish rei was back with his family in china!  
  
^.^ sounds like fun, ne? 


	10. 10: discovery

meep....i'm really, really sorry for the long delay on updating....though, i'm always apologizing for that, aren't i? *sighs * trust me, there's nothing i'd love more than to update everyother day...hell, once a week if i could manage it, but there's this little thing called life.  
  
i was in the school play, "Picnic", and had practice everyday, so things got pushed aside. Then....it'd been so long, that i'd lost my momentum, and....they staggered and fell into decay...but...eh.....at least i'm back with an update! ^.^  
  
kai: joy oh joy -.-  
  
love you too -.-  
  
rei-chan: mew! ^.^  
  
..right.....eh.....ne wayz...first of all, a huge thankies to all those who reviewed, and a double thankies to those who added me to ur favs list! ^.^ wuv ya!  
  
and, on a final note, i just wanna say, i have _parts _ of this fic planned out, but i'm really having alot of trouble on it. first of all, i just wanna say chinese foot binding is not something easily researched in-depth. i've got the basic info- i gave that all to u guyz, and i dug around a bit, and found out the general process, and now, i've still been poking around in books and on the web, but info is becoming very hard to find.  
  
foot binding was stopped-and made illegal in china- during the Revolution, when China was turned from Imperialism to Communism. Footbinding was considered "backwards" and the influence from other nearby nations that considered footbinding "barbaric" was starting to take root. So, many women and girls who'd had their feet bound were literally forced to unbind their feet.  
  
However, this is all i can find out! I want to find out the _process _ and the _effects _ of the unbinding, so i can unbind rei's feet! however, i'm having alot of trouble finding this out! so....i've hit a bit of a..road block.....*dies *  
  
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chapter 10: discovery  
  
Kai sighed heavily and set Rei down." You're legs should be fine by now. The flight wasn't that long." He ran a hand through his disheveled hair, turning from Rei and starting to walk down the moth-eaten, carpeted hall of the Russian airport. Back at the Chinese airport, Rei's infuriating older brother had insisted upon carrying Rei onto the plane and placing him in his seat, as if he couldn't do it on his own. Kai snorted. Rei had been sad for a while after Lee left, then exuberant, his quick, intelligent golden eyes darting from side to side, studying everyone and everything. He'd been a little scared during take off, but his curiosity soon overcame that, and he had his nose pressed against the small, round window, watching the clouds and land far below. Then, when the plan had landed, Rei had tried to stand, but it took him forever and it looked like he was in pain. When Kai asked, Rei had merely said his feet were numb from sitting so long.  
  
Rei gazed about him in wonderment, aching to go off and explore, then he realized just how far ahead Kai was, and just how fast the long-legged Russian was walking. "Kai! Kai, wait, please!" He called out, pulling his coat closer about him and trying to go as fast as he could. He placed one foot forward, used to the feeling of his toes scrunching into his foot as his weight was placed upon it. But being familiar with the pain still wasn't enough to make him go faster. He needed normal feet for traction and power, instead of dainty, crippled feet, where every step was a struggle for balance.  
  
"Rei-" Kai turned, looking over his shoulder just in time to see someone in the sparse, small hallway of the Russian airport accidentally jar Rei, and the Chinese boy's eyes widened as he fell to the cold, dirty floor. "Rei!" Kai rushed over, shoving the few people that were there out of his way. He dropped to his knees, wincing as they slammed into the tiles. He reached out and started to pull Rei up, but gasped and froze when the hem of the boy's skirt rode up, exposing one shrunken, heavily bound foot.  
  
"Kai?" Rei looked up into Kai's astonished face, wondering what could shock him so. Then he looked over his shoulder, wincing when he saw his exposed foot. He pulled back from the taller boy, his husband. "Kai, I....I......" Rei winced and closed his eyes as the blue haired boy ignored him, his attention grabbed by his foot.  
  
Kai crawled down to Rei's feet, yanking his skirt up to his knees. "What the-" He grabbed one foot, pulling off the dainty slipper and unwrapping the ten feet of binding cloth. "Oh my God......" His voice was breathless as he stared at the warped foot, which was, folded up like it was, smaller than his hand. With a trembling finger, he traced over the hump of the instep and the four little folded toe stumps. He raised Rei's leg up so he could see the bottom of the shrunken foot. The clipped toenail of the folded toes were visible, buried into the ball of the foot; the toes nearly touched Rei's heel.  
  
Rei whimpered, tears slipping past his clenched lashes. "Kai....please....." he begged, though, what he was begging for, Kai to just pretend nothing was wrong, to stop examining his foot in public, or for him not to abandon him, he didn't know.  
  
Rei's trembling voice snapped the morbid spell. Kai's head snapped up, but Rei's was lowered, tears running down his soft, tan cheeks. "Why didn't you tell me?"  
  
Rei shrunk back at his cold tone, nearly hitting into a passing woman. "I had no choice- I was given no choice! It's Pa-Pa, he ordered it done, he ordered my silence....I never wanted this! I never wanted this!!" His voice rose several notches, his body shaking and tears streaming; he was near hysterical, his golden eyes peering desperately into Kai's.  
  
Kai merely stared at him, numb with shock. For once in his life, he didn't know what to do. There was the initial shock of discovering Rei's mutilated feet, then his 'bride' starts screaming hysterically.........'Which isn't proper at all. Hiwataris govern their emotions at all times....' A voice in the back of his head snapped. Kai shook his head, wanting to be rid of his grandfather's voice, and raised his hand, programmed to slap Rei into obedience.  
  
Rei saw the motion, and flinched, eyes closed tight, waiting for the blow. But it never came. He opened his eyes to see his husband, his Kai, starting to stand, and he desperately reached out, clinging to his pant leg. "Kai! Please, don't leave me! Please!"  
  
"Control yourself!" Kai snapped automatically, then his cold eyes softened when Rei flinched, turning his head away and sobbing. His disgust for Rei's outburst melted when he remembered that Rei wasn't a Hiwatari. He had grown up in the mountains of China, with a 'loving' family, instead of a grim, rigid upbringing in the cold heart of Moscow. Two different places, two different values in life. Which was why he had chosen him; he was different. Rei's emotions, his happiness, his laughter, had attracted Kai to him. In China, he'd been a dream, a wonderful dream. But now...in Russia...reality was setting in.  
  
Rei sobbed, fear making his head pound. Kai was going to leave him, stranded here, alone and penniless, in a place he didn't know, and a language he didn't speak. He whimpered and cried harder, nearly dry heaving. His tears stopped, his head popping up in surprise as he felt strong arms lifting him up again, pulling him against a deliciously warm chest. He looked up, blinking, and the few tears that clung to his long lashes fell. "K-Kai?"  
  
Kai bit his lip, then nuzzled Rei's cheek. "I'm sorry...I forget, you don't know  
  
Russia...you don't know my family." Though the words were meant to be comforting, his tone was gruff. Rei didn't reply; he just wrapped his arms around Kai's neck and buried his face in his shoulder. In the awkward silence, Kai moved them away from the few onlookers, and towards the exit of the airport.  
  
"Your feet. Tell me about them." He commanded in the brusque tone he always used while in Russia. Rei blinked, mewing a bit. Kai's voice woke him from a warm doze, and he reluctantly raised his head from it's comfortable spot on Kai's coat.  
  
"Mmmm....my feet? Pa-pa ordered all the girls in the village to have their feet bound; they were to be sold in arranged marriages....he bound my feet as punishment for the time I ran away....when I met you....." Rei looked up at his new husband warily.  
  
Kai gazed down at him with crimson eyes, that, while not gentle, were not frozen hard. "I've missed you; over the years, there wasn't a day that went by that I didn't think of you."  
  
"R-really?"  
  
Kai nodded, then brought his lips against Rei's, kissing him gently and tasting the salty tinge from his tears. Rei melted in Kai's arms, eyes closing as one hand came up to cup his smooth, clean-shaven cheek. Kai kept the kiss soft and gentle, drowning in the sweetness that was Rei, until someone clearing their throat loudly made him look up, freezing momentarily, before glaring at his valet.  
  
"If it pleases Mr. Hiwatari, his limo is waiting; his luggage, and that of his bride, has already been taken back to the house." Kai glared at the upstart servant, then dismissed him.  
  
"Wow, they really do everything for you at these airports-" Rei was looking around again, his face red at having been caught kissing.  
  
Kai snorted, almost smiling with amusement. "No, that's only because my family's loaded with money that we get the royal treatment." He said derisively, then felt his pocket, making sure he had Rei's weird, tiny shoe and bandages, before carrying him out to the car, his dress hiding his bound feet.  
  
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ack....i really *hate * this chapter...but it's the best i could come up with; it fell _so _ flat....i tried re-writing it several times but this was the best i could do, and i'm severely disapointed in myself...  
  
but, nyack, i digress....reviews, as always, are appreciated, even more so for this fic cuz i actually do bother to research it, and i shall continue the quest....soon as finals are over . 


	11. near discoverych 10 rewrite

Yes, I said this fic was going to be discontinued, and I had every intention of never finishing it, but I want to finish it, and I'm starting to get ideas for it again. However, I simply do not have the time nor energy to research all that I need, so everything in Russia's just going to be made up. I'll try to find more out about the Cultural Revolution- more specifically the Anti-Foot Binding Societies and the actual unbinding itself.

Also, this isn't a brand-new chapter; I've just re-written the last one because I really didn't like it; too much happened too fast, and I wasn't pleased with Kai's reaction.

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chapter 10: discovery

Kai sighed heavily and set Rei down." You're legs should be fine by now. The flight wasn't that long." He ran a hand through his disheveled hair, turning from Rei and starting to walk down the moth-eaten, carpeted hall of the Russian airport. Back at the Chinese airport, Rei's infuriating older brother had insisted upon carrying Rei onto the plane and placing him in his seat, as if he couldn't do it on his own. Kai snorted. Rei had been sad for a while after Lee left, then exuberant, his quick, intelligent golden eyes darting from side to side, studying everyone and everything. He'd been a little scared during take off, but his curiosity soon overcame that, and he had his nose pressed against the small, round window, watching the clouds and land far below. Then, when the plan had landed, Rei had tried to stand, but it took him forever and it looked like he was in pain. When Kai asked, Rei had merely said his feet were numb from sitting so long.

Rei gazed about him in wonderment, aching to go off and explore, then he realized just how far ahead Kai was, and just how fast the long-legged Russian was walking. "Kai! Kai, wait, please!" He called out, pulling his coat closer about him and trying to go as fast as he could. He placed one foot forward, used to the feeling of his toes scrunching into his foot as his weight was placed upon it. But being familiar with the pain still wasn't enough to make him go faster. He needed normal feet for traction and power, instead of dainty, crippled feet, where every step was a struggle for balance.

"Rei-" Kai turned, looking over his shoulder just in time to see someone in the sparse, small hallway of the Russian airport accidentally jar Rei, and the Chinese boy's eyes widened as he fell to the cold, dirty floor. "Rei!" Kai rushed over, shoving a few people

out of his way. He looked down at the wide-eyed Chinese, reaching out a hand to help him up.

Rei's breathing was swift and shallow, his body stinging where he'd smashed into the tiled floor. It took him a few minutes to collect himself, and when he looked up, he saw his Kai coming to him. He started to smile reassuringly when he felt cold air brush over exposed skin on his lower leg, and he knew one of his bound feet were showing. Just as Kai reached him, Rei suddenly jerked his foot back under the hem of his skirt.

"Rei?" Kai's eyes narrowed curiously as the boy, who'd pushed himself up and was just sitting dazedly on the floor, swiftly jerked his leg back out of sight as he held out his hand. Rei had been acting very odd, almost as if walking pained him. But what could be wrong with him, Kai couldn't fathom. If there was something wrong, such as an injury, Rei would've been sensible enough to speak up and have it taken care of, surely. Then again, maybe Rei wasn't as sensible and level headed as Kai remembered him to be.

Rei pasted a quick smile on his face and laid his soft hand in Kai's bigger one. "I'm okay, just a little stunned." He waited, ready to Kai to pull him up, but the Hiwatari heir never moved.

"Why did you jerk your foot like that? What are you hiding, Rei?"

Rei's golden eyes widened further and his breathing increased as he started to panic. He knew Kai would find out, but not here, not now! This was going to be hard enough when they were in private, alone-but in open public? "M-my foot? Nothing- it's fine. It's perfectly normal. There's nothing wrong with my feet-foot." Rei's stuttered, nervous words tumbled over one another. It was obvious he was lying, and Kai didn't believe him.

What the hell was wrong with Rei? Kai was beginning to think he'd gone insane over the years they'd been apart. Rei was hiding something from him, and he didn't like it one bit. The taller boy reached out a hand to grab Rei's foot, but the small neko shrunk back, nearly hitting into a passing woman.

Kai's crimson eyes narrowed and his voice turned cold and commanding as he grew angry. He wanted to know what Rei was hiding from him, but more than that, he was angered because Rei didn't trust him. When they'd met several years earlier, when Rei had run away from home, the Chinese boy had been so warm and loving with him. He'd been open and honest, letting Kai in close to his heart. At first, Kai had been guarded, but was unable to resist Rei's sweet country charms.

"Rei." He growled and Rei winced, looking down at the dirty floor. "Quit lying to me, and tell me what's wrong with your foot."

Rei's thin shoulders shook, and he covered his mouth with one hand to hold back a sob. He was afraid to tell Kai, even though Kai had a right to know- would have to know. But not here, not now. Not in front of strangers in a grimy Russian airport. And their verbal game of hide and seek over his feet had to end; he was embarrassing himself as well as Kai. He'd always been taught to be quiet and demure, especially out in public, yet here he was, sitting on the floor struggling not to cry. It was hard to hold back the tears, especially with Kai being so emotionally distant and hard.

He lifted his head, tears falling down his golden cheeks, to look up at Kai. "I'm sorry. I really, truly am. My husband....my love..." He took a deep breath and scooted closer, putting himself within striking distance of Kai's hands. Cold crimson eyes regarded him emotionlessly, just listening before deciding upon a course of action. "I would never keep anything from you....there IS something about my feet-foot-feet...that you need to know, but I ask of you....please, wait until we're alone."

Kai hadn't expected Rei to drop the facade and denial. He gazed at him before slowly nodding his head. "In the limo, then." Rei looked frightened, as if he was dreading telling Kai whatever it was, but nodded his head in agreement too.

Kai stood up and brushed the dirt from him, debating whether to help Rei up or to carry him. He suspected Rei had twisted his ankle; that was the only thing he could have done from the fall, but he couldn't fathom why Rei would want to hide that and why he kept mixing feet and foot up.

A man in a trench coat and hat, reading a newspaper, nearly tripped over Rei, who scooted closer to Kai. The Russian boy was suddenly aware that they were out in public, and with the awareness came the shame of their little scene his grandfather had beaten into him. A Hiwatari was to govern their emotions at all times, and especially in public. Kai grit his teeth; he hated the mores and social values he'd been taught, but they'd been so thoroughly ingrained into him they were almost instinct. He knew that carrying Rei would be making the spectacle worse, but he was NOT going to allow his new bride to walk on a twisted ankle and make it worse.

He began to bend again, both arms reaching to wrap around Rei, but the delicate boy shook his head. "Just lift me up; I've already brought enough embarrassment upon both our families...I do not want to make things worse." He was looking down again, and tears still ran down his soft cheeks.

Kai gave a soft snort, his strong arms easily lifting Rei's slight weight and placing him upon the ground. Rei gave a surprised gasp as he was lifted into the air, then slid down along Kai's hard body. He winced as his weight was suddenly placed upon his folded feet, and grasped Kai's coat tightly. " Kai frowned at Rei's grimace of pain; it wasn't right for him to suffer just because he didn't want other to stare. Kai didn't care if they did; he never really cared for society's rules, even though he went along with them because of Voltaire's teachings, but another part of him rebelled- the part of him that had him come to China for Rei, and the part that wanted him to carry his injured bride.

"There is no shame in helping someone whose injured, and if anybody doesn't like it they can kiss my ass."

Rei gave Kai a soft smile that didn't reach his eyes. "I'll be alright." He reached out and wrapped both of his arms around one of Kai's, leaning some of his weight on Kai to slow the bigger boy down as he walked, to help support himself, and to just be close to him, his beloved Kai-koi.

Kai liked the feeling of Rei snuggled into his side, and caught himself just in time from smiling as the smaller boy gave a little sigh and laid his head down on his shoulder. Kai felt better, too. They hadn't exactly resolved Rei's foot, but Rei was no longer acting strange; he was starting to act like the old Rei-chan that Kai new and fell in love with.

The only thing that didn't sit well with him was the little, mincing steps Rei took. It wasn't a normal limp like one would expect with a twisted ankle. The Chinese leaned heavily on Kai, lifting one foot, then the other, slowly placing his weight upon each foot in turn. It was an agonizingly slow process, and was grating on Kai's nerves. He would have scooped Rei up into his arms, except his bride seemed nearly content and he didn't want to drive Rei from him again.

It took a long time and Kai was practically insane by the time they reached the shiny black limousine, emblazoned with the Hiwatari family crest upon it's hood and sides. Their luggage had already been claimed and packed in the trunk and the valet was starting to fall asleep by their door.

Kai none too nicely cleared his throat; the man jerked awake, bowed in apology, and quickly opened the door. Kai merely gave him a frosty glare. Rei took no notice of this. He'd been dreading this moment, concentrating on walking, and using all of his self control to keep from looking around in awe, which would have slowed them down even more and resulted in Kai carrying him. Soon as they had stopped, Rei, nervousness making his heart race, started craning his head around, his eyes excitedly drinking in everything and anything; the drably clad people, the buildings, crowded streets.

Rei hesitated when Kai tugged; he wasn't done looking around, and he really didn't want to get into the limo. Another impatient tug, and Rei shuffled forward a few steps, then his attention was caught by a police officer's car. When Kai pulled yet again and Rei didn't move, he soundlessly swept him up into his arms. Rei gasped then shut his eyes as Kai bent low, afraid his head was going to hit the top of the car, and was put down on a comfortable, black leather seat next to Kai. The valet shut the door, and he nervously clasped and unclasped his hands, his golden eyes gazing all over the interior but never really seeing anything.

Kai was put on edge again as he saw how stiff and rigid Rei was sitting, and his feet pulled back, well hidden under the skirt. He gave the dark tinted windows one spare glance and raised the long one that separated the driver's front from the back. "Rei. Now we're alone, so show me." He looked straight at Rei, face impassive and spoke in a voice that would brook no argument.

tbc....

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please review! .


	12. a lingering presence

Dang, it's been so freakin long. And for that, I humbly do apologize. I know a lot of you thought I abandoned this, which I almost did. It's just, well, life got in the way, I lost my motivation for it. But now I've found it again. And, well, another reason I haven't updated in a while is because when I DID get ideas for it, I had to do further research.

That, and I was curious. I wanted to see how far the rabbit hole goes, so to speak. And, boy, does it go far! I'm currently working on a report on foot binding. It's an on-going research project that's been, well, intense. There's only so much you can find on the net, and half of that information is NOT very useful at all. But books are great sources, and I've been reading a lot of them in my spare time!

Overall, I guess I'm satisfied with the story- I think so far, knock on wood, it's been one of my better works, not that that's saying much! And as far as information goes, well, if you're really curious, the two best books by far I've found are "Splendid Slippers" by Beverly Jackson and "Every Step A Lotus" by Dorothy Ko. Totally awesome books, lots of information. I know for a fact Beverly Jackson, as illustrated by her book, has actually gone to China and talked to women with bound feet who are still alive. Well, at least they were when she was researching her book!

So..eh, I've rambled enough, and I humbly beg you to forgive me for not updating in eons! And this chapter takes a closer look at the lotus shoe.

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Chapter 11: A lingering presence

The sun just began its usual retreat as evening slowly crept in, painting the sky a faint yellow washing into a soft blue as day turned to night. The birds were singing the last songs of the evening, and the crickets began chirping, warming up for their nightly serenade. Children ran to and fro, kicking up dust as they ran from parents calling them in for the night, and older boys lounged around on porches in groups, doing their best to look tough and cool.

As she stared out the window at the remote mountain village, Mao sighed. It was the same place she knew and loved; the place she'd grown up. These were her people, her past. And her future. But it seemed so empty without her best friend. It hadn't been that long, not even a full week, and she already missed Rei terribly!

There was no one to share her deepest, darkest secrets with. No one to giggle and gossip with her over tea. No one to trade ribbons and skirts with. Rei had been more like a sibling to her. Mao, as an only child, would have had a lonely childhood, and she'd had, until Mrs. Kon had brought an orphaned Rei home. The village head's wife had given Lee a little 'sister' and Mao a best friend. She and Rei had been so close, playing with each other everyday, learning together, and when their feet had been bound, sewing the elaborate, beautiful and dainty lotus shoes together. In their pain and misery, they'd found solace in each other, in the bond between them.

But now, she was alone…Mao's eyes burned with tears, which she wiped away before they could fall. Hearing her sniff, Galux lifted his huge, furry head from where he lay on the floor under the window seat and placed it in her lap, right on top of her embroidery.

The pink haired girl smiled. "I'm not alone; I have you." She stroked the lynx's magenta fur. She loved the big cat; he was her sole companion, always at her side. But it wasn't the same. Galux didn't have his feet bound; he couldn't relate. Mao and Rei had gone through that pain together; it bound them, brought them closer together. They'd found strength in each other. Galux wasn't facing an arranged marriage, either.

Well, Mao wasn't unhappy about it; she WAS marrying Lee, after all. She would be the wife of the next village magistrate. It was an honorable marriage, a well made match. And, best of all, they cared for each other. But it meant moving into Lee's household, and obeying her mother-in-law. But Mao knew Lee and Rei's mother was kind. No, there was nothing to worry about there. She was actually looking forward to it.

She just…really, really missed Rei-chan. Mao sighed and shifted on the plush cushion of the window seat. She scratched Galux behind an ear, then pulled her embroidery out from under him and went back to work.

In her lap was a small pair of dainty, beautiful lotus shoes. They were the highly coveted, greatly prized size of three inches. The honored, enviable golden lotus. Much too small for Mao's own bound feet. But they fit Rei's.

Though they had been bound at the same time, as had all the girls, and a few boys, of the village, the sizes of the bound lotuses had turned out different. Size of a lotus foot depended on the size of the feet, and most especially, on the diligence and severity of the binding. Rei had had small, pretty feet to begin with; he'd been the only one in the village to achieve the golden lotus, the three inch foot.

Mao's own was closer to four inches. Ah, what a big difference a few centimeters' makes! The pink haired girl smiled sardonically. She couldn't fit into Rei's tiny shoes if she tried. Mao had been complimented on her four inch lotuses, but the village elders had fawned over Rei's. The boy already was the prettiest in the village, the 'daughter' of the head elder, and now he had the tiniest, therefore the prettiest, feet to boot!

But Mao didn't envy him; he was her best friend! Her Rei-chan. Now that he was gone, and his soft inner glow, his gentle spirit, she lived in his shadow. Compliments now came her way, but the place was so empty, so miserable without his warm smile, gentle amber eyes and free spirit to liven things up.

She sighed and picked up her needle with the dark blue silk thread. She would never see Rei again. He was gone, out of her life for good. It felt like there was a hole in her heart. Yes, she could always write, but how could she possibly convey all that was in her heart with mere ink and paper? There was so much she wanted to tell him, so much she had to say.

How much she loved him, and how happy she was for him. Which, she was; Rei always wanted to get out of this tiny village, see what the rest of the world held. Travel was in his spirit. Well, with Kai the kitten had gotten his wish, and the Russian aristocrat would care for Rei well. So, she was happy for her best friend. Yet, his dreams took him away from here, away from her. She was sad he left, and she missed him.

All these things rolled together in her heart; how could paper ever contain the depth of her feelings? There was so much she had to tell him, but she wasn't a gifted poet. She didn't have a way with words. She couldn't write her heart in ink. Letters were always wasted with useless greetings and mere summaries of what's been going on, and that wasn't what she wanted to share with him. She wanted to give Rei a piece of her heart, so he'd always remember his best friend.

So, Mao was making him a pretty pair of lotus shoes. They were soft slippers, designed to match the folds of Rei's feet. The top of the shoes were open wide, to allow for the bulge of the arch of his folded foot, and the tip was narrow for the folded toes. They were made of soft, tightly woven cotton in a pale shade of pink. It was Mao's favorite color, so Rei would always knew who made them for him. She was embroidering an intricate design of spiraling flowers with the dark blue thread. It was time consuming work, decorating the tiny shoes, but with each stitch, she threaded in her love for Rei.

When finished, they'd be beautiful. Beautiful, splendid slippers; a lovely cover to hide deformed, ugly feet. A beauty to mask the beast of cruelty. It was an ancient tradition; one that, in those olden times, defined being female. The twisted stumps were the marks of femininity, let women knew their place and identity within society. Mao scowled in anger, tempted to throw the shoe. But anger would accomplish nothing more than added frustration. So she sighed, bit her lip, choked back her anger, and kept sewing.

The grass outside her window rustled as foot steps approached. Galux raised his head, scowling at the window, peeved that someone would dare interrupt his evening nap. Seeing her faithful, furry companion raise his head, Mao looked up. "Lee!"

"Mao." Lee nodded respectfully to his future fiancé. The marriage had been arranged by the village matchmaker, but even if she hadn't chosen Mao, Lee would still have sought the girl for his wife. They'd been childhood friends; he'd been around her on an almost daily basis, from her playing with Rei. From that, it was as if she was a part of the family already. Now, with the wedding, she'd be in name, also.

And Rei's had been a disappointment. It was ironic. Rei, who had once, long ago, run away, had his feet bound for his disobedience. And yet, even with crippled, bound feet, Rei had still managed to defy their father. Rei's match had not been made by the matchmaker, or their parents. And the ceremony had been rushed; Rei wore no elaborately embroidered and decorated wedding robes- there hadn't been time to make any- nor had there been any of the usual festivities.

That blue haired Russian devil had showed up, argued with father, who was swayed by the large sum of money, the bride price, the demon had. And father sold Rei like a prize brood mare, shipping him off into the unknown with that fiend. There was something cold, and calculating in those eyes. That boy's soul was dead, as barren and cold as the wind swept, frozen tundras of Siberia.

And through it all, Lee could only watch and bite his tongue in silence, helpless to save his younger brother. It was their father's will, and Lee could not dishonor him by disobeying. Not only was he head of the house, he was head of the elders. Leader of the village.

"Lee?" Mao asked. Her fiance's face had a dark, twisted scowl and he glared at the wall.

Lee shook himself, then sighed heavily, broad shoulders slumped. "It's still so hard to believe Rei's gone. I'll have to send him a letter soon. But with the postal service, who knows how long it'll be before he gets it?" He snorted. "Besides, what the hell will I say?" He clenched a fist.

Mao frowned, too. She pulled at the ribbon holding her pink hair back, tightening it. She'd never seen Lee so indecisive before. The loss of Rei wasn't only affecting her. "He'll…he'll come back, maybe…someday…" Lee snorted again; she winced. Her words were empty even to her own ears.

Silence fell between them. Galux yawned, rough pink tongue coasting over huge yellow fangs, before settling back down on the floor. Mao looked at Lee, who was staring at the window sill, then she lowered her head and went back to her embroidery.

"I didn't know your feet were that tiny." Lee watched her work, small hands nimbly pulling the needle in and out, forming the design.

Mao blushed. "T-they aren't. They're for Rei-chan."

"Ah." Lee watched her work, and Mao, face red, concentrated harder on her task than necessary. As he watched her work, Lee was envious. Not of her bound feet- that was just beyond cruel. But with those stitches, with this gift she made, she was telling Rei how much she loved him, more than words ever could. It was something Lee, being a male and with unbound feet, could never do. He was a stranger into their world.

Yes, he'd often cared for Rei, helped him with his folded feet. After several years, it still amazed and horrified him. When he'd bathe Rei's feet, the twisted stumps fit neatly into the palm of his hand. It was vile, like being in a horror movie, or on Ripley's Believe it Or Not. He never quite gotten used to it. He never would. It was too cruel, too barbaric. Every time he'd watch Rei walk, with slow, mincing steps, swaying on the crumpled stumps that fit into his palm, twisted his heart.

As much as he felt for Rei, Lee had never been able to share that pain. He couldn't begin to imagine the horror and pain Rei and Mao had gone through as their feet were forcefully shriveled and twisted by tight bandages. Normal, healthy feet were bent and broken, shutting the two nekojins away from the rest of the world, marring them. Physically branding them into their place. The binding put up an invisible curtain, a barrier, between them and the outside world, all those with normal feet. It brought the two closer together in pain, and made others a stranger to them. Lee couldn't relate, couldn't understand. He never would. As close as he was with Rei, the binding of the smaller one's feet made them separate in small ways, in the heart.

"Lee?" Mao scowled; Lee had that vacant, brooding look on his face again. He really was lost without Rei.

"Eh, Mom sent me over here to give you these." He had a small satchel of fragrant, ground herbs in a small pouch. "These were Rei's, for soaking his feet. They're good for drawing out infection. He didn't get much time to pack, and left these…so, she thought you could use them." He shrugged lamely.

"Oh. Thanks." When Mao didn't reach for it, he sat them down on the windowsill. She just stared at the pouch.

"Well, I gotta go find Galeon…let me know when the shoes are done, and I'll send them to Rei." Mao nodded. Lee wandered off. His gait was slower, and not so straight. He wasn't as sure of himself, of his path in life, with Rei gone. He was disjointed, out of focus. Mao knew well; she felt the same way. Sighing, she went back to her embroidery.

TBC…

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Yes, definitely tbc! More's on the way!

Oh, and this chapter kind of, well, is off track a little because, well, it's my way of getting back into Rei and Kai's world. It just takes a look at the village now that Rei's gone. But next chapter, I promise, is with Kai and Rei in Russia, where Rei is formally introduced into the Hiwatari household.


	13. hidden memory, promise for the future

&groans& Zomg, I haven't touched this thing in….a long time. A really, really long time. I just haven't had the inspiration and I've been busy with other fandoms. But I found this poem I'd written…gah…ages ago in an old notebook of mine, and I remembered I had a story on footbinding as well…so I got inspired again.

I am sorry this chapter is so short, but I'm trying to get back into the swing of things. I would really like to finish this story- I feel it's one of my better works (not that that's saying much…TT.TT). Plus, I just realized I never mentioned Driger last chapter…T.T

Well, since I haven't been actively researching foot binding currently, I don't have any spiffy notes on it or anything else really to say, except that several peops online have recommended the novel, "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan" by Lisa See to me. I haven't read it yet, but it's on my reading list and I thought I'd share that recommendation with you incase anyone was interested.

……..

Are people still even bothering to read this story, or am I just wasting my time? O.o &sighs& I haven't updated in so long, it wouldn't surprise me if everyone's quit…

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Twisting, twisting

Crippled flesh

Death masked in elaborate silk,

Decay swathed under fragrant bindings,

Deformity hidden under an elegant mask

Pain the price of ethereal beauty.

The secrets of womanhood,

Bound in ten feet of cloth,

All for a place in society.

Lee stared at the worn pages of Rei's journal. He was cleaning out the closet, getting rid of old things of his and Rei's to make room for Mao's belongings for when she moved in after the wedding. He had found Rei's old journal tucked in a closet corner, under a worn pair of red lotus shoes. They were six inches big and sloppily stitched together; the first pair Rei had made, when his feet were newly bound and the cruel, crippling process began.

The broad-shouldered boy sighed heavily as he stared down at the yellowed paper and smeary ink. Rei had been in so much pain, and Lee had been powerless to help him. He had comforted him the best he could and protected him with all his might. But, in the end, he had not been able to save Rei from the horrible fate of having his feet bound, nor from the cold-hearted, severe Russian devil who stole Rei away from his family.

It was tradition in Old China for the bride to join the groom's family. Lee knew that, accepted it as part of their proud heritage, and, once Rei had left their little village, their family, for another country, another house, another family, Lee hated it. His little brother never should have been allowed to leave, because Lee missed him terribly. Rei's absence punctured a hole in his heart that even Mao's love could not fill.

Lee missed his little brother's warm smile, gentle laugh, and dancing amber eyes. He missed the rustle of his skirts, the gentle swaying of his hips when he tottered slowly on his crippled stumps for feet, and the way he curled into Lee at night after a nightmare. Now Rei would turn to his husband for comfort, curl into his strange Russian body at night, and the blue-haired demon would do more than just hold him…

Lee growled, holding the old diary in a vice-like grip and gnashing his teeth together as a sudden, over-protective big-brother urge crashed over him, and he wanted nothing more than to gleefully strangle that Hiwatari bastard by the throat. He ground his back teeth together, grinning ferally like Galeon on the hunt. "Bastard." He hissed.

The immense black lion lay curled in the shadowy corner, heavy head laying on his paws and the tip of his tail twitching lazily. He dozed contentedly, sleeping the afternoon away so he would have energy for his nightly prowl. The gigantic white tiger lay near the bed, on the side Rei always used to sleep on. Driger had lost weight since Rei left; his ribs poked out and he moved around very little. The tiger was too depressed to eat; he missed Rei too much. Lee was attentive and caring, just as Rei had always been with him, but it was not the same. Lee and Galeon were a team, just as Driger and Rei were, and any other combination just didn't feel right. The under-weight tiger let out a long, depressed snort, pink nose crinkling.

Lee sighed heavily and absentmindedly rubbed the thick white fur. "You miss him too, huh?" He said sadly, head hung low as he stared down at the poem Rei had written in his journal. Lee had never read it before; diaries were private. He had learned that lesson the hard way, when he was little and read Mao's pink diary. He had accidentally broken the lock, and when she found out he was the culprit, she had beat him into a bloody pulp, cried, and refused to talk to him for days. Lee was afraid of what Rei would do if he did that to him, so he never touched Rei's diary.

Until today. It did not feel like prying, though, and Lee was far from guilty. It was as if Rei had left a small piece of himself behind. A memory, a ghost, to haunt Lee. Memories of their shared childhood already did that- Lee felt like his family was broken, like they would never be whole again with Rei gone. But by reading the diary, the private thoughts and feelings Rei had spilt upon the pages, Lee felt like he was connecting with his younger sibling.

A lot of the pages were spattered with tear stains, silent testament to all of the pain Rei had endured for the sake of two small, dainty and broken feet. Lee had always been horrified at what his father had done to Rei and tried to be there as much as he could for the nekojin, but he never knew how deep Rei's pain went. The long-haired boy's entire perception of himself- his body and his mind- were completely transformed, and Lee had no idea despite how close they were.

He knew Rei had cried a lot from the pain and misery he was in. Lee had held Rei countless nights as the boy sobbed, in too much pain to sleep and his feet wracked with mind-numbing agony. Lee could not even begin to imagine the endless hours of sheer torture Rei had endured, the countless fevers and infections as his feet were forced by tight bandages to curl in on themselves.

Through it all, Rei never complained. Cried, yes- Lee was sure all of Rei's tears could fill up two earthenware jugs. Rei had been in too much pain not to cry, but he never uttered one word of complaint. He bore it internally, bowing to the pain, to his fate, his lot in life, as the bandages bowed his feet. The binding taught him silent endurance and a type of strength Lee could not even comprehend, and he had no desire to do so.

Lee lovingly ran his calloused fingertips over the tear-stained, crackled pages. All that pain and torture- Rei had born it all, tears his only outlet. No protests, no fighting- rebellion was disrespectful to the older generation and would dishonor their mother and father. So Rei bit his pain back, letting it flow like a river down his cheeks. Lee could never let a child of his go through what Rei and Mao went through.

Abruptly, he closed the diary with a loud snap. Driger's ears twitched, the only sign showing he was alive. His own amber eyes were glassy with memories of himself and his gentle master and all the days they had spent together basking on the sun-warmed, grassy hillside just outside the mountain village. Galeon's tail twitched, the black lion too lazy to be interested in anything beyond tonight's dinner.

Fire burned in Lee's heart, churning angrily. He could not undo the past. He could not unbind Mao or Rei's feet. But he could change the future. When he was made village magistrate, he would do away with the binding law. He vowed this in silent fervor, deep in his heart. It was a promise to Rei. No one in the village would ever have their feet bound again, would never know the agony he found in Rei's diary. The heartache would end here and now. Rei would want it that way.

tbc….

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Gah, that was short. And sucky. But…I tried. And failed miserably. TT.TT And I'm the one, I'm ashamed to admit, who wrote the even suckier poem. . Just…bury me alive now…..


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